May I, 1891.] 
iHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
795 
A CUPPING INSTEUMENT FOE SNAKE 
BITE. 
rProiu a number of the Cape AgvicultuTal Journalt 
we lake the followicg very valuable, commonBense in- 
formation on the use of a cupping instrument for snake 
bite. Speedily and eflectually applied so as to retract 
the poisoned blood, no better remedy could be used. 
In the recent case of poor Bosanquet, in Florida, 
hia companion bravely did his best by sucking the 
wound. But the venom had got into the circulation 
through the veins in the inside of the foot. Had 
the bite been on the outside the sucking might 
have been effectual.— Ed. T. A.] , 
Snake poison is now ascertained to bo a dehnite 
chemical compound, perfectly stable and indes- 
tructible, except by anhydrous sulphuric acid, 
nermanganate of potash, and partially by carbolic 
Lid, in fact, by those few substances which 
decompose and destroy any organic chemical. 
Ammonia has no elfact upon it ; for ^ ^ ^ 
the poison is mixed with ammonia and injected 
into the bodies of animal, it retains its energy 
unimpaired, but it is certain, from South African 
experience, that ammonia, especially taken in- 
ternally, probably as a nerve stimulant, coun- 
teracts its effects. . 
There are two kinds of snake poison, the 
brine of the cobras, and the viperine of the 
vipers or adders. The former is chiefly a nerve 
poison, and produces paralysis, especially of the 
respiratory nerves. It kills by causing carbonic 
acid poisoning, which is accompanied by convul- 
sions. The viperine venom is both _ a nerve 
and a blood poison, the latter action being often 
the more dangerous of the two. The puff-adder 
is our best known viper. _ , - j „ 
As snake poison is of this stable and inaes- 
truotiblo character, according to the dictates or 
common sense the first consideration is to get 
it out of the body, whatever the value of ana- 
dotes may be. Dr. Wall, who at the instance 
of the Indian Government carried out the experi- 
ments of Sir Joseph Fayrer to more definite results, 
is of opinion that nothing will save life in persons 
bitten by Indian snakes, except making a cut across 
the side of the bite, and dissecting out the sub- 
cutaneous tissues in which the venom is lodged 
a sixth of an inch or more beneath the surtace. 
Our South African snakes are not quite so venomous, 
and no one but a skilled surgeon would venture on 
such cutting and carving. Another plan, therefore, 
seemed desirable. A good many oases have occurred 
where life has been saved by sucking out the venom 
with the mouth. This suction, however, is feeble, 
and is also highly dangerous if there hajppens to 
be any skin wound in the gums or mouth. J.ne 
proper thing would be a strong cupping mstrument. 
The ordinary cupping instrument is unsuitable, from 
the glasses being too wide in the mouth. It is also 
loo dear for common use. That of S. Maw * 8°“ 
London, is 22s. to the trade, and would be at least dOs. 
retail price. It seemed to me that nothing would serve 
but an instrument prepared expressly for snake--bite, 
and sold at about half a guinea. I accordingly induced 
Mr. William Hume a well-known scientific instrument 
maker, Lothian Street, Edinburgh, to prepare such an 
instrument, giving him an exact description of 
what was wanted. He produced one which s 
thoroughly effective. The barrel la 
five inches long by ^ inch wide, with 
and a bell-shaped glass f men wide at the mouth, 
and enlarged above so as to hold an ounce of 
The suction is powerful. A larger glass may a so 
be had at an extra charge, with the mouth an inch 
and a half wide, for animals. The instrument is 
Sd in Edinburgh at 10s. Od, What with Customs 
duty, carriage, and commission it could hardly b® 
sold for less than 15s. in this country, unless an 
importer were to order six dozen, in which case 
there would be a reduction of 20 per cent. Still, 
the price is very moderate, considering that snake- 
dite antidotes are sold at from 8s. 6d. to 12s. 6d., 
and are suspected of not keeping. 
Treatment of Snake bite. — The thing to be done 
immediately, on a person being bitten, is to out off 
the circulation from the part so as to prevent 
the venom from being absorbed. The best thing 
is an india-rubber band or rope, similar to Bsmarck’s 
bandage, either solid or tubular, and strong but 
flexible. This should be wound firmly and a number 
of times round the limb at the part next above 
the bite. As this band fits itself to depressions 
in the bone, it is far more effective than whip-cord 
even were it made so tight as to cut into the flesh, 
A soft reim is the next best, but anything, even 
a handkerchief, should be used in an emergency. 
The next thing is to probe the two fang punctures 
with a sharp penknife or lancet. Scarifying is a 
mistake. It merely removes the superficial blood, 
while the venom remains lodged in the tissues. 
The proper thing is to open up the punctures so 
as to get down to the venom, and secure that it 
and the envenomed blood is sucked out, The 
probing being done, the mouth of the cupping glass 
should be moistened and pressed down firmly over 
the wound so as to allow no air to get in at the 
edge of the glass, and the piston worked up and 
down. The flesh will be sucked in, and the glass 
will soon be filled with blood. This may be repeated. 
If the cupping is performed before the poison has 
gone into circulation, there is every reason to expect 
that life will be saved. Even if all the poison is 
not removed, life may be saved, for snake poison 
does not kill unless it goes above a certain 
proportion to the entire quantity of blood in the 
body. The antidote, which should be administered 
internally at the first, may now be applied to the 
wound alter washing it with Condy’s fluid (a solution 
of permanganate of potash), if it is at hand. * * * 
[Then follows a notice of an antidote in the shape of 
tincture of a herb, the red or wild Dagga, Leonotis leo- 
nurus, but ammonia alone is probably best. — Ed. T. A.] 
Directions for using the Cupping Instrument. — The 
instrument should be kept in a place known to all 
the household, and ready for immediate use. To 
keep it in perfect order, it should be examined 
periodically. In testing it, apply it to the chin or 
any fleshy part. If it does not work that may be 
from want of oiling the piston, or because the 
valves are wrong. The oil, should be sweet or olive 
oil, or else an animal oil, quite free from acid, 
so as not to corrode the brass. As oil dries up, 
the oiling requires to be repeated now and again. 
To reach the valves, unscrew the milled edge at 
the lower end of the syringe for the one valve, 
and screw off the bottom plate of the piston for 
the other, using if necessary the two small holes 
to keep the upper part firm. The valves may require 
simply to be wiped from oil or dirt. It a valve 
requires renewal, that is a very simple matter. It 
is a strip of oiled silk (the umbrella article, or 
that sold by druggists will do) put over a small 
hole, with its ends tied over a groove in the brass 
by means of a thread. The packing of the piston 
can also be easily renewed. It consists of a round 
piece of leather, steeped in sweet-oil, with a hole 
in the middle through which the screw of the 
bottom piston plate passes, and the sides are then 
folded up — an arrangement easily understood on 
inspection. The instrument, which is a substantial 
article, is practically indestructible, and as they are 
all made exactly alike, glasses and other parts 
could be replaced for that matter. 
