148 QUEENSLAND AUHICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Fes., 1900. | 
General Notes. 
TREATMENT OF SNAKEBITE. 
AurnougH cases of snakebite are not very frequent in this colony —notwitl 1 
standing the fact that some localities, especially in the neighbourhood of swamp | 
are infested by several species of venomous snakes—yet all bush workel® | 
plantation and farm hands, swagmen, and others who are in the habit % | 
camping out, are liable to tread unawares on one of the reptiles and receive" | 
dangerous bite; and this may happen at a distance from medical assistant 
We therefore publish the following directions for the immediate treatment | 
snakebite, by Dr. J. Ashburton Thompson, Chief Medical Officer of the Govel™ } 
ment Health Department, New South Wales :— | 
DIRECTIONS. | 
A ligature—that is, a strong string tape, narrow strip of clothing, or hand } 
kerchief—should be tied at once round the limb above the bitten part. 
it has been tied, pass a piece of stick under it, and twist it round and round 80 | 
as to screw up the ligature as tightly as you can. Leave the stick in the twiste® 
ligature, and secure the end by another string around the arm above the ligatu" — 
Great pain and swelling are caused by this, but cannot be avoided. AL | 
At the end of half-an-hour undo the ligature for 5 minutes; then tie ae | 
screw up again. At the end of another half-hour the ligature may be remove — 
altogether. 
In places where a ligature cannot be tied, as on the neck or face, pinch up | 
the bitten part between the finger and thumb, and cut it out. 
Inany case the bitten part should be cut into by numerous little cuts ov! 
and around the bite, for about 14 inches around, and sucked by the mouth freely | 
and perseyeringly ; and this can be done without danger by any person. ae | 
Stimulants, such as brandy, whisky, gin, rum, in small quantities at a time 
(a few souepocnile) or strong tea or coffee, or wine, may be giyen if the A 
patient be faint. 
We would draw particular attention to the second paragraph in the abov? | 
directions, which directs the ligature to be removed in Waikzcndtae and attel 
wards replaced. = 
A case occurred a little while ago in Queensland which demonstrated 0 * | 
fatal manner the necessity for relaxing the ligature. A person came in {0% — 
the bush to be treated for snakebite by a doctor. If we recollect rightly, the” 
patient had doctored himself properly in so far as scarifying and sucking HY — 
wound and applying a tourniquet; but unfortunately he had kept it on 1° 
some hours, and mortification had set in. Amputation of the arm was resort 
to, but the patient died. = 
Stimulants are often given to excess with dire effects, and it is not outsid® i 
the experience of medical men that sufferers from snakebite are really offe! 
sufferers from overdoses of spirits, having been bitten by some non-yenomou® 
snake, and would have recovered without any stimulant. We would strongly 
urge upon all teachers and parents to get some good work on Australian snake 
and instruct their pupils and children in the method of determining whether ' 
snake is poisonous or not. ‘This might save many a finger, and possibly many 
life, for there are nervous people who are prone to collapse even at the sight 
a snake. Many well-educated people, and most children, believe lizard8~ 
including the jew lizard and so-called iguana and frilled lizard — to be venomoll 
when, as a matter of fact, we believe there is only one known species 0 
venomous lizard in the world, 
