370 VENOMS 



lower. The reflexes had disappeared. There were still a few 

 slight muscular contractions near the base of the chest, and the 

 patient quietly passed away at 11.5 p.m., as the result of the 

 progressive arrest of the heart's action, respiration itself having 

 virtually disappeared two hours before the heart had ceased to beat. 



Case III. — A week after this sad occurrence, another snake- 

 charmer, Kingilien by name, aged 25, was bitten in the first 

 phalanx of the right forefinger, when taking hold of a cobra in 

 the courtyard of the Pondicherry Hospital. Eefusing an injection 

 of an ti venomous serum, the man ran off as fast as he could go, 

 after having a simple ligature applied to his wrist. Scarcely had 

 he reached his dwelling, when he fell into a deep coma, in which 

 condition he was carried to Cottacoupom, to the abode of one 

 Souraire Kramani, a kind of sorcerer, who administered to him a 

 certain medicament in a betel leaf. After having vomited a large 

 quantity of bile he was taken home. At this time, according to 

 the summary investigation that we caused to be made, the patient 

 was unable, to utter a single word) he could only open his mouth 

 with difficulty, and his eyelids remained closed. Kingilien, who 

 had partially regained consciousness, seemed to be suffering from 

 continuous attacks of vertigo ; his head, if pushed to one side, 

 drooped, and the man was incapable of voluntary movement. 

 Bespiration was fairly easy, swallowing painful. The entire hand 

 was greatly swollen ; poultices of leaves were applied to it, after 

 a few incisions had been made with a knife in the back of the hand, 

 in order to reduce the congestion. The arm was rubbed from above 

 downwards with the very bitter leaves of the Vembou, or mango- 

 tree, and prayers were recited. This is all the information that I 

 have been able to obtain with reference to this man, who, after 

 a prolonged convalescence, is said to have recovered (?). 



Case IV. — One Latchoumanin, aged 25, also a snake-charmer, 

 of Caradicoupom, was bitten at the Hospital at 10 a.m., on August 2, 

 while handling a cobra. The bite was situated in the second joint 

 of the right thumb. After it had bitten the man, ten drops of 

 venom were extracted from the reptile's glands. 



