1881.] Poisons of certain Indian Venomous Snakes. 



355 



12.45 p.m. Breathing rapid. 



12.47 p.m. Respiration failing, comb becoming purple. 



12.49 p.m. Lying down, bead drooping. 



12.50 p.m. Fallen over on its side ; respiration fainter. 

 12.53 p.m. Gasping. 



12.56 p.m. Convulsions. 



12.58 p.m. Convulsions lessening. 



12.59 p.m. Dead. 



Here, tbougb tbe amount of poison injected was more than fifteen 

 times tbat required to cause almost instant deatb from convulsions, 

 simple exposure to a beat of 100° C. completely altered the symptoms. 

 'They were those of gradual paralysis which caused the respirations to 

 cease, and tbe convulsions which occurred at the end of the paralysis 

 were simply tbe expression of carbonic acid poisoning. They were 

 secondary, and no longer primary. Even with the abolition of primary 

 convulsions, however, the symptoms differed materially from those of 

 cobra poisoning. 



Should primary convulsions not occur the history is that of advanc- 

 ing paralysis. The respirations and pulse become greatly accelerated, 

 and there is gradual loss of power in all the limbs ; vomiting may 

 occur. Sanious discharges issue from the rectum and other parts. 

 The pupils are usually widely dilated, and tbe respirations become less 

 and less, and may cease with or without convulsions. 



But there is a third form of death from daboia poisoning, quite 

 unlike anything that is seen in cobra poisoning. It occurs in those 

 cases in which but a very small quantity of poison indeed has been 

 injected. The animal has very few nervous symptoms, very likely 

 none at all ; but on the second day he appears ill, refuses food, has 

 diarrhoea, bis urine contains albumen, and he may linger on in this 

 state for days, dying exhausted, or some acute complication may super- 

 vene as in Experiment IX, causing death rapidly. In that case it was 

 an cedematous condition of the lung that proved fatal, whereas in a 

 case recorded in the "Indian Medical Gazette" (June 1, 1872), it 

 was a hemorrhagic condition of the system generally. The snake 

 was evidently from its description the Daboia Bussellii, or its congener 

 the Ulchis carinata. 



A Mahomedan, forty years of age, was bitten by a snake on the 

 finger. The bite was soon after incised, and stimulants given. The 

 hand and arm became much swollen, and on the same day he passed 

 blood by the rectum, with his urine, and he also vomited blood. The 

 next day he was sick, and was still passing blood from all the channels. 

 In this state he remained eight days, losing blood constantly, and dying 

 in consequence exhausted on the ninth day. 



In this case no symptoms occurred for many hours, but when they 

 did supervene they increased in severity till the man died from 



