CASES OF SNAKE-BITE. 
moribund. Bespirations forty. Bestless and unconscious. 
Heart’s action fluttering. Spasmodic twitchings observed over 
course of diaphragm. Pulse at wrist not detected. Died at 
9 A.M. 
Post-mortem appearances seven hours after death. —External 
appearance of the body was that of a person who had been well 
nourished and healthy, and of great muscular development. 
The left hand and arm were considerably swollen; there was 
also swelling of left axilla. Two small punctured wounds were 
observed on first phalanx of index finger of left hand.* 
Head .-—On removing calvarium considerable congestion was 
observed of the vessels on the surface of the brain. There was 
a general softened state of the brain substance throughout. In 
right lateral ventricle a small quantity of serous fluid was 
found. 
Thorax. —Lungs collapsed ; when cut into were found gorged 
with blood, the latter being remarkable for its fluidity. The 
apices of lungs were emphysematous. 
Heart. —Size normal, structure healthy. A large clot of 
blood in left ventricle, extending into ascending portion of 
aorta, and having appearance and consistence of black currant- 
jelly ; clots were also found in right ventricle and auricle, and 
in pulmonary arteries. That in the latter was semi-fluid. 
Liver. —Normal, and appearance when cut into healthy. 
Gall-bladder distended with bile. 
Bowels- —Appearance healthy. Spleen of natural size; soft 
and easily broken up by the fingers. Kidneys healthy in 
structure and normal in size. Bladder empty. 
Bernards. —The above case was highly interesting. I saw 
the man about one hour and a half before death, when his 
symptoms were exactly as described by Dr. Murray. I did 
not see the snake, as unfortunately it had been destroyed, and 
thrown away the day before. The following description, how¬ 
ever, was given to me by Assistant Apothecary Boberts, A-23, 
B.A. :—“ It was a snake about two and a half feet in length 
with a flat oval head. The thickest part of the body measured 
about three inches in circumference. The tail was five inches 
long. The colour of the head and back of a French grey ; the 
belly white. In the middle of the back ran a row of lozenge¬ 
shaped spots (white). It had two large curved flings.” I am 
inclined to believe from the description that the snake was a 
species of viper. 
The following case is reported by Honorary Assistant-Surgeon 
C. J. Cooper, in Civil Medical Charge of Shoagliyeen, elated 
Jan. 1st, 1870 :— 
Ngayoh, a Burman, aged nineteen years, was bitten by a 
snake on Nov. 7th, 1869, at 8.30 p.m. When returning home 
from the telegraph office he felt the instep pricked by some¬ 
thing, and on raising his foot to the lantern he carried, he 
found the snake hanging on to the foot; he shook the snake 
off, and found that the places where the fangs had penetrated 
were marked with blood. The snake was green, Viper a viridis, 
probably Trimeresurus erythrums, or T. carinatus. On admission 
he was suffering from all the symptoms of severe shock. 
The neighbourhood of the bite was red and swollen. A 
ligature was immediately tied round the leg. Spt. amm. 
aromat. sj ; tinct. opii, sss were given immediately. The track 
of the snake-bite was covered with ipecacuanha and ammonia. 
When the ill effects had passed off, the ligature round the leg 
was removed. Five minims of liquor arsenicalis was ordered to 
be given every six hours. He recovered, and was apparently 
* Dr. Murray notes that when the left hand was cut into, the muscles were 
found disintegrated and of a dark colour. In the upper arm the muscles were 
found to be soft and infiltrated with serous effusion. 
well in three hours, but he attended as an out-patient for thirty- 
three hours after. 
The following case is recorded by Dr. Paul, Civil Surgeon of 
Tavoy, Burmah, dated Jan. 15th, 1870:— 
Maha Lutchmee, a Hindoo female, aged thirty-seven years, 
was bitten at about 8 p.m. on the night of Nov. 7th, 1869, in 
the town of Tavoy, by a Bungarus fasciaius. She complained 
of a tingling sensation at the seat of the punctures, which were 
on the dorsum of the right foot, with some swelling of the part- 
There was pain in the leg and thigh of that side. The general 
expression of countenance was anxious. She said that it being 
dark, she trod on the snake, which bit her on the foot. It was 
destroyed, and identified by Dr. Paul. She was treated by the 
administration of liquor ammonhe internally, and by ipeca¬ 
cuanha, chloroform, and liquor ammonia? applied externally. 
The woman recovered, and was discharged well on the follow¬ 
ing day. 
Particulars regarding the death by snake-bite of Captain S., 
by Assistant Apothecary Wells, Moulmein :— 
The late Captain S. had been bathing in the tidal river at 
the dockhead (his ship being then under repair), at about 8 p.m. 
on May 23rd, 1869. When in the water he felt as if a crab 
had got hold of his leg, which he shook off, and feeling no in¬ 
convenience from it took no further notice of the circumstance. 
After the bath Captain S. called at the house of a friend, 
adjoining the dockyard, where he stayed for about an hour 
amusing the children of the house by singing and playing on 
the concertina. He seemed in high spirits, and expressed 
himself as feeling a sort of glow all over him, which was rather 
agreeable than otherwise, and his friend remarked that he never 
saw him (Captain S.) look so well before. On reaching his 
vessel, about ten o’clock, he complained of a sensation of thick¬ 
ening of the tongue, which rendered articulation difficult and 
indistinct; and gradually a feeling of stiffness all over the body 
came on. At about 11 p.m., on attempting to lie down, he felt 
as if suffocated. Bigidity of the muscles of the neck, arms, 
and legs increasing, he took some brandy (which was retained 
only for a short time) and a doctor was sent for, who, when he 
arrived, prescribed the following mixture :— 
K iEther. sulphurici, ^iss. 
Tinct. hyoscyami, 5j- 
Mist, camphor®, Jiij. M. ft. mist. 
A third part for a dose every three hours. 
At about 4 a.m. of the 24th, the symptoms above mentioned 
with sickness of stomach continuing, the following was pre¬ 
scribed :—- 
Pulv. jalap® comp., 5,j- 
Calomel, gr. v. 
To he taken at once. 
Jo Tinct. cannabis ind., 5j. 
Spt. chloroformi, ^hj. 
Spt. ammon. arom., 5iij. 
Mist, camphor®, Jxij. M. ft. m. 
Half a wineglassful every four hours. 
At about 8 a.m. the same morning, it was remarked by a 
Burman, who had just then seen Captain S., that the symptoms 
were those of a bite from a “ gyat” (poisonous water-snake). 
Captain S. then recalled to mind the fact of his having felt a 
bite when bathing in the river the previous night, and on. 
examination the marks of the bite were discovered, two on 
either side of the tendo Acliillis, near the ankle. The bites 
did not seem at all inflamed, nor did they give rise to any feel¬ 
ing of discomfort ; in appearance they looked just like mosquito 
N 
