54 
THE THANATOPHIDIA OF INDIA. 
died about three hours after being bitten. No post-mortem 
examination of the body was made. Information very meagre. 
Shadorya Bewail, a Mahomedan female, aged twenty-seven 
years, was bitten by a Grokurrah {Naja tripudians), at the village 
of Dlioosail. There were, it is stated, four fang marks on the 
left elbow; the belly was swollen, and the veins distended with 
blood. She was treated by charms and incantations, but died 
an hour and a half after the bite. The body was not examined. 
Affajoodeen, Mahomedan, cultivator, aged thirty-five years, 
was bitten on the night of March 15th, 1870, when he was 
asleep. The snake was not seen, and the exact time not noted. 
He died on March 16th. No symptoms or other details are 
recorded, except only that he was treated by natives with 
muntros. The body was not examined. 
The following cases are reported by Dr. Skipton, Civil Medical 
Officer of Jessore, Bengal:— 
Prosonee Dasee, a Bengali woman, aged twenty-six years, 
of the village of Poddo Poobhoonia, was bitten by a Spectacled 
Cobra (N. tripudians ) while asleep on the night of June 2:2nd, 
1870. She did not come under treatment, and died very shortly 
(exact time not stated) after being bitten. The body was ex¬ 
amined. The lungs were slightly congested. All the chambers 
of the heart, as also the veins, contained fluid blood. Abdominal 
viscera decomposed. The blood was fluid, The scalp, brain, 
and membranes much congested. Cadaveric rigidity not noted. 
Bhogobhan Ivassabc, a Bengali belonging to the village of 
Dolutpore, was bitten while asleep by a snake, probably a 
Cobra, on the left elbow, which had been resting over a rat- 
hole, on the night of June 20th, 1870. No information re¬ 
garding symptoms could be ascertained. He died two hours 
after the bite. The body was examined. The lungs were 
normal. The heart contained dark fluid blood in all the cavities. 
The abdominal viscera were normal. The blood was dark and 
fluid. The brain congested. This case shows how necessary 
it is that all rat-holes should be stopped up, as snakes invariably 
seek refuge in such places, both for food and shelter. 
ICoosee, aged thirty-five years, a Mahomedan Chowkedar, was 
bitten by a snake, probably the Naja tripudians (Cobra) on the 
night of June 21st, 1870. He did not come under treatment, 
and died in one hour. The body was examined. The lungs 
were extremely engorged with blood. All the chambers of the 
heart, as also the large veins, were filled with dark blood. The 
abdominal viscera were healthy. The blood was fluid. The 
brain was very much congested. 
Deep Chandsen, of the village of Monerampore, was bitten 
by a snake (name not ascertained), while stepping from a chest 
on which he had been sleeping on the night of June 19th. 
No particulars regarding the symptoms could be ascertained, 
but he was treated by the native Kobirajes. He died eight 
hours after being bitten.. The body was too far advanced in a 
state of decomposition to admit of a post-mortem examination 
being made. 
The following cases are recorded by Dr. Robert, in medical 
charge of Raneegunge :— 
Walorki Santhal, labourer, aged twelve, female. Is supposed 
to have been bitten on the night of June 18th, 1870, hour not 
known. The mother and daughter were sleeping together; 
the girl awoke her mother and complained of a burning pain in 
her right thigh. The mother caught a glimpse of a snake 
escaping from near the girl. She went to the thannah for 
medicine, but the girl was dead before she got back. The 
symptoms are not known beyond that the girl complained at 
first to her mother of the burning pain. Death must have 
occurred in less than two hours. On examination of the body 
the lungs were found to be liypostatically congested, probably 
a post-mortem change. The blood was fluid and very dark 
in the heart and great vessels. Heart flabby and contained 
very little blood. The blood formed no coagulum. The 
stomach contained recently taken food. The intestines much 
distended with flatulence. Uterus, ovaries, generative organs, 
and brain not examined. Rigor mortis not recorded. 
Dr. Robert says : “ The information regarding this case was 
got from the constable who accompanied the bodjg and not 
much reliance is to be placed upon it. I could discover no 
mark or puncture on the right thigh, or on any part of the 
body, which I could suppose to have been due to a snake-bite, 
but decomposition had set in, and the face was swollen. Blood 
and froth issued from mouth and nostrils. Abdomen dis¬ 
tended.” The body was examined about thirty-six hours after 
death. 
Bonoo, Bengali Chowkedar, aged thirty-three, was bitten by 
a Krait {JBungarus cceruleus ) on July 27th, 1870, at 5 p.m. He 
had caught the snake about a fortnight before, and was keeping 
it alive for the approaching snake poojah. It bit him on the 
left forefinger when he was going to feed it. His brother says 
he at once had burning pain in the finger, and soon after in 
his head and all over his body; he soon became very weak, 
could hardly articulate, and was drowsy. Some native 
medicine was given, which he vomited, and soon became 
unable to swallow. Died at 11 p.m. July 27th, or in about six 
hours. Body examined after death, time not recorded. Lungs 
much congested, of a dark purplish colour. But little blood in 
the heart, and that quite fluid and dark. Blood in great 
veins also fluid and dark ; it is not noted whether the blood 
was set aside and examined for coagulation later. Peritoneal 
surface of bowels rather vascular, but mucous surface not so. 
Liver and kidneys natural. Spleen pulpy. Brain natural; 
no congestion; about three drachms of fluid in ventricles. 
Strong cadaveric rigidity existed ten hours after death, not, 
however, when it first occurred. Two small bloody punctures 
were to be seen on the palmar aspect of the joint between the 
first and second phalanges of the left index finger ; one puncture 
on each of the transverse linear depressions situated there, about 
one-sixtli of an inch from each other. There was a little blood 
also on the opposed surfaces of the left middle and ring fingers. 
There was no apparent inflammation or swelling of the index 
fino-er. But on raising the skin the fat and cellular tissue 
were seen to be infiltrated with, and discoloured by, a dirty 
brown serum, and this was the case for about two inches up the 
palm opposite the finger. Dr. Robert adds :—“ The low caste 
men about here have for some time been catching snakes to play 
with and make a profit from at the Munsa poojah about a fort¬ 
night hence. They do not extract the fangs when they catch 
them, but only a couple of days before they make use of them.” 
Account of a case of snake-bite by the sufferer:— 
“ On May 30tli, 1850, at Almorah, I took one up in my left 
hand, intending, as I had done with others, to put it into a 
bottle, seizing it by the neck, having previously pressed the 
head down with a, stick. Too much of it was, however, left 
beyond my grasp, and it got one fang to bear upon the point 
of the knuckle of the left thumb. The fang did not enter very 
deeply. I saw it rising up from the gum partially covered by 
its mantle of skin. The effect was instantaneous; a sharp, hot 
