1904.] Easy Method of preventing Death from Snake Bite. 325 



press in the permanganate. The lancet is set in a wooden handle 

 about an inch and a half long, which is hollowed at the other end so 

 ^is to form a receptacle to hold the permanganate. Two wooden caps 

 .are fitted over the ends of the instrument, one to keep in the 

 permanganate, and the other to protect the lancet. Such an instru- 

 ment, if turned out in large numbers, could be sold at such a small 

 price as to be within reach of even the Indian labourer, and might be 

 sold everywhere in the same way as packets of quinine are at present. 



Fig. 1. — Lancet for use in snake bite, showing the steel blade, the cap which 

 covers it, the hollow wooden handle for holding crystals of permanganate of 

 potash, and the cover which retains them. 



The plan now proposed is to make a free opening into the site of 

 the bite, and to rub in crystals of permanganate. For this purpose 

 the limb should be surrounded by a tight bandage above the bite, the 

 puncture of the tooth or teeth should be freely cut into by the lance- 

 shaped blade and the crystals of permanganate introduced and rubbed 

 round. A few drops of saliva may be added. 



To test the efficacy of the proposed plan several lethal doses of 

 venom dissolved in a few drops of water, so as to resemble, as far 

 ■as possible, the natural poison, are to be injected into the limb of an 

 animal, a ligature placed round the limb above the seat of injection, 

 an incision made, and crystals of permanganate placed in the wound, 

 moistened and rubbed in. 



Experimental Investigation, by Leonard Rogers. 



In order to test in as practical a manner as possible the value of the 

 suggestion of the two first-named authors of this communication, 

 the following experiments were carried out at the Physiological 

 Laboratory of the London University by the third-named author. In 

 the first place it was necessary to ascertain if crystals of permanganate 

 destroy the activity of other venoms besides that of the Cobra, for 

 we are not aware that its action in this direction has been tested 

 against any extensive series of snake venoms. As the value of the 

 suggested treatment would evidently be greatly enhanced if the per- 

 manganate could be shown to act efficiently against every class of 

 snake venom, a series of experiments were carried out to test this 

 point. The venoms in solution were mixed with small quantities of 



VOL. LXXIII. 2 A 



