DOCUMENTS 349 



XXX. — Case of a bite from a . Horned Viper reported by Dr. 

 Mons, in charge of the Military Hospital of Laghouat, Algeria. 



" Mohamed ben Naouri, a day labourer, aged 26, during the 

 summer catches Horned Vipers, which he stuffs and sells. 



" On August 3 a Cerastes, which he was holding down on the 

 sand with a forked stick, disengaged itself and fastened on his 

 hand. The snake was a large one, about 50 cm. in length. 



" The accident happened at 6.30 a.m., 6 kilometres from Lag- 

 houat, and the man was bitten on the joint between the second 

 and third phalanges of the third finger of the right hand. He 

 applied a ligature to his wrist, and started to run as fast as he 

 could towards the Military Hospital, where he arrived an hour 

 later. 



" He was immediately given an injection of antivenomous serum, 

 in accordance with the instructions, and, around the bite, five or 

 six injections of permanganate of potash, 1 in 20. On the next 

 and following days, tense oedema of the arm and left side of the 

 chest. Extensive purplish ecchymosis of the inner face of the 

 arm ; no fever. The phenomena gradually diminished, and, on 

 August 17, there was merely a trifling wound where the bite had 

 been inflicted. The patient was discharged at his own request. 



"Like Dr. Marchand (des Montils), we can certify that the 

 action of Calmette's serum was rapid and efficacious. The injection 

 did not cause any pain or febrile reaction." 



XXXI. — Case reported by Dr. Blin, of Dahomey. 



" On March 5, 1906, native hospital attendant C, while gathering 

 vegetables in the hospital garden, was bitten in the right hand 

 by a Cerastes. The bite was inflicted in the tip of the index finger. 

 Ten minutes later a ligature was applied to the base of the finger 

 and another to the upper arm, and as soon as we saw the man, 

 which was after the lapse of about an hour, he was given an 

 injection of 10 c.c. of antivenomous serum. The patient com- 

 plained of feeling cold and vomited. The axillary temperature 

 was 36'1° C. ; the pulse was weak, irregular, and rapid. The 



