Canker in Grass Snakes. 
221 
and paining the snake. I thought of killing the poor reptile, 
yet I was very attached to it, as well as interested in the 
disease, and moreover, as he was such a fine specimen I 
decided it was worth while doing everything possible to save 
him, although it looked absolutely hopeless. 
I made the permanganate of potash solution stronger still, 
putting a good ‘ pinch ’ of crystals into a teacupful of luke- 
warm water and by 3rd July all canker slime had disappeared. 
Four stubborn, well-established places only remained and the 
whole front of the lower jaw was out of shape. The skin 
sagged an eighth of an inch and the naked dentaries protruded. 
The other two places were between the right maxilla and gum 
and in the centre of the basisphenoid. 
On 4th July the teeth began to fall from the front of the 
right maxilla, and the bone seemed to be softening, almost 
Fig. IV. PORTION OF THE RIGHT MAXILLA (enlarged) 
shewing the empty teeth sockets (s) , and cankered tissue 
(c) attached, removed on 8th July. 
as if necrosis were setting in. On 8th July this piece of bone 
seemed quite dead, and as well as canker in the surrounding 
flesh, there was great inflammation. The surrounding tissue 
was also very soft, and I realised that as it was I could not 
get rid of the disease. Gently, with the tip of a fine scalpel 
and long, fine-pointed forceps, I removed -65 cm. of the front 
of the now partly toothless maxilla as shewn in Fig. IV. 
A little adhering flesh and canker, which seemed to have 
attacked the bone itself, came away with it, and then I 
thoroughly cleaned and bathed this bleeding wound, first 
with warm water which had been boiled only, and then with a 
very strong solution of permanganate of potash. In the same 
way I bathed below and around the two dentaries, and, 
after cleaning, the centre basisphenoid. Into each wound I 
placed two or three permanganate of potash crystals. These 
stained the whole of the interior of the mouth and saliva a 
deep brown colour, and the snake promptly began its ‘ chew- 
ing ’ habit again. At first Rasper raised his head erect, 
then assumed a more normal pose, and one hour later he 
appeared quite comfortable and normal again. 
Each evening from 8th July to the 14th I bathed the 
wounds with a very strong solution of permanganate of potash, 
1933 Oct . 1 
