II.—A Few Notes and Observations Relating to Domestic Animals Bitten by Poisonous Snakes and Treated with Serum.
A.—Naja haje.
XXXIX.—Case reported by Dr. Maclaud, of Konakry, French Guinea.
“A hound belonging to the Governor of Konakry was bitten in the ear by a black Naja. A similar accident happened last year, and the animal died on the fifth day. In the present case, serious phenomena had already manifested themselves: depression, convulsions, and great swelling of the entire head and anterior portion of the trunk. A dose of 10 c.c. was injected at three different points: in the flank, neck, and cellular tissue of the injured ear. Improvement was almost immediate. On the following day the animal recovered its appetite, and two days later was completely cured.”
XL.—Case reported by Dr. Marotte, of Konakry.
“At 10 a.m. on November 1, 1898, a large dog (a German brach), weighing 33 kilogrammes, was running about in some tall grass. It returned to its master, looking unhappy, with its eyelids swollen. Thinking that his dog had been bitten by a Naja, a snake which swarms round Konakry, he took it to the hospital. The animal was unable to cover the distance, which was only 300 metres; it was dragged along, but collapsed, and had to be carried. Its head was swollen, it panted, and its breathing was rapid and irregular; there was profuse salivation. On the inner face of the right ear the marks of the two fangs of the reptile were distinctly visible. A hypodermic injection of 10 c.c. of antivenomous serum was immediately given in the right flank: this was at 10.10 a.m. At 11 o’clock the symptoms appeared to become less acute; the animal was easier, and its breathing became less rapid and more regular. At 1 o’clock the animal succeeded in getting on to its feet; the œdema had somewhat diminished, and it was able to half open its eyes. At 6 o’clock the dog was taken back to its master’s house; it seemed just as lively as though nothing had happened.
“On the following morning there was still a small amount of œdema in the eyelids, but the appearance of the head had become normal.”
B.—Pelias berus (Common Viper).
XLI.—Case reported by M. de Maupas, of Challay, by Trôô.
“About 1 p.m., on July 30, 1898, a fairly large pointer was brought to me, bitten in the right paw. On shaving off the hair the marks of the two fangs of the snake were clearly visible. The wound had bled a little, and the injured limb was painful and swollen. I ligatured the paw above the joint, and injected a bottle of antivenomous serum, which had been in my possession since September 6, 1897. The effect was very rapid; after a quarter of an hour the dog reopened its eyes, which until then had been half closed. Towards 5 o’clock I removed the ligature. On the next day but one the swelling had almost disappeared, and the dog took its food of its own accord; it ran about and seemed lively.”
XLII.—Case reported by M. de Villiers, Mayor of Villiers-le-Duc, Côte-d’Or.
“About 2 p.m., on May 23, 1898, the widow Veillard, of Villiers-le-Duc, while driving her herd of cows to pasture among the brushwood, saw a viper which she killed, and then, a few moments later, three others in succession, which she likewise killed. Madame Veillard thought of leaving this place, which seemed to her to be too much infested, when one of her cows, which was quietly feeding, swerved violently and dashed off through the scrub. With the help of her dog she succeeded in recovering the cow, which appeared uneasy, ceased to feed, and had a swollen muzzle. Madame Veillard then decided to return to the village.
“Towards 6 p.m., that is to say about three hours after the accident, I was sent for. The head and tongue of the cow were swollen, there was foam on the mouth, and the animal had difficulty in breathing. I injected a dose of antivenomous serum, from our first-aid station, beneath the skin of the shoulder, and gave a second injection a few moments later. The cow was then led back to her shed.
“At 9 p.m. she was quiet. The swelling did not increase, and the cow, which had previously refused all food, ate a handful of hay.
“On the following morning there was nothing to be seen beyond a little swelling in the neck. The animal fed as usual, and gave her normal quantity of milk.”
XLIII.—Case reported by M. P. Rat, engineer, of Saint-Rambert-en-Bugey, Ain.
“About 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 7, 1902, while I was out shooting, my bitch was bitten in the lower lip by a very large viper. Since I was a long way from home, I was unable to give the injections until 6 p.m., by which time the poor beast was in a pitiable condition. Her head was as large as a saucepan; she had no strength left, trembled, and was unable to stand. I injected 15 c.c. of serum in the left flank. This was all that I did.
“At 7 o’clock on the Monday morning the bitch ate and drank a little. She began to walk about, and by the evening had completely recovered. There was nothing but a very little swelling left.”
C.—Cerastes.
XLIV.—Case reported by Dr. Boyé, of Kissidougou, French Soudan.
“At Kan-Kau, on December 19, 1896, a cow belonging to the post, which had been bitten by a snake at 8 a.m., seemed about to die. The snake, which was killed by the herdsman, was a Cerastes (Horned Viper).
“On going to the cattle-shed I found the animal on her side and panting, with the limbs completely relaxed. A thick foam was dropping from the half-open mouth, and asphyxia seemed imminent. The cow had been bitten in the teats, which were enormously swollen; the œdema extended over the whole of the belly and inner face of the thighs. Two doses of serum were injected, one at the base of the teats, the other in the subcutaneous tissue of the flank.
“On the following morning the œdema had diminished, and the breathing was much easier; the animal seemed to be conscious of what was passing around it.
“Forty-eight hours later the cow was able to walk and went out to graze, having apparently entirely recovered from the accident.”
III.—Note on the Collection of Venom and the Treatment of Bites from Poisonous Snakes in the French Settlements in India.
By Dr. Paul Gouzien.
Principal Medical Officer of Colonial Troops.
From the time of our arrival in India, in February, 1901, we turned our attention to ensuring the regular collection of snake-venoms, with a view to satisfying the desire for them that had been expressed by our friend Professor Calmette, Director of the Pasteur Institute at Lille.
To gain this end, the moral and financial support of the Administration was indispensable, and this did not fail us. Acting on our suggestion, as formulated by letter on May 25, 1901, Governor Rodier, on June 11, issued an order by the terms of which a sum of 200 rupees was placed at the disposal of the Chief of the Sanitary Service, “with a view to encourage the catching of poisonous snakes, and to assist the collection of snake-venom by the granting of bounties to natives.”
On the issue of this order, we drew up instructions for the collection of venom, which we caused to be distributed to all posts in the Colony. At the same time an appeal in the vernacular was posted up in each of our sanitary institutions, inviting the Hindus to commence the campaign forthwith. The notice placarded on the door of the Pondicherry Hospital ran as follows:—