“A few days previously a coolie had died after being bitten by a snake under the same conditions, but without having been treated. Occurrences like these point to the necessity that every Government or private dispensary should be supplied with antivenene, which is certainly the best remedy for snake-bite available.”
II.—Case reported by Robert J. Ashton, M.B., Kaschwa Medical Mission, Mirzapur (N.W.P.).
“A coolie, aged 27, was bitten in the right foot by a cobra at 5.30 a.m., on September 16, 1900. Half an hour later 10 c.c. of antivenomous serum were injected subcutaneously into the left forearm. The patient experienced great pain in the foot, torpor, and great weakness. Recovery, without complications.”
III.—Case reported by Dr. Simond (Saigon).
“Nguyen-Van-Tranc, an Annamese, aged 25, employed in the Botanical Gardens at Saigon, was bitten at 10.30 a.m., on March 11, 1899, by a cobra which had escaped from its cage. The bite was inflicted on the palmar surface of the index finger of the right hand, and the fangs had penetrated deeply.
“This native, to whom a sensible comrade had applied a ligature round the wrist, was brought to the Pasteur Institute three hours later. He was drowsy, with drooping eyelids; his speech was difficult and almost unintelligible. Deglutition was impossible, and ingurgitated liquids caused vomiting. The hand was greatly swollen at the seat of the bite, and the œdema extended to the forearm. There was partial anæsthesia of the skin. As soon as the patient arrived, I gave a single injection, beneath the skin of the flank, of three doses of serum, that is, 30 c.c. In the evening I again injected 10 c.c. of serum. At 10 p.m. the general condition of the patient seemed to be improving. Next morning he was less depressed, spoke more easily, and was able to swallow. Convalescence began from this moment; the œdema and numbness of the hand and arm, however, persisted for several days.
“Recovery was complete on March 20. I have no doubt that in this very serious case the antivenomous serum preserved the life of the patient, since his condition was desperate when I saw him.
“This is the second instance within four months of the successful treatment of snake-bites at Saigon by Calmette’s serum. In the former case two natives were bitten by the same animal. One of them, who permitted the injection of serum, which was performed by Dr. Sartre, recovered; the other, who refused it, died within twenty-four hours.”
IV.—Case reported by the Fathers of the Khurda-Mariapur Mission (India).
“At 1 p.m., on October 31, 1905, a woman, aged 35, who had been bitten by a cobra, was brought to us from Khurda. After being at our dispensary for about an hour she became drowsy; she paid no attention to anything that was said to her, and merely replied that she felt sick. We thereupon injected 10 c.c. of serum. The woman did not even appear to feel the prick when the needle was driven into her calf. Immediately after this was done she dozed and went to sleep. The pulse was feeble, and the entire body cold. We were disposed to give a second injection, but, since we had only two bottles left, we hesitated to sacrifice one of them. At last, after sleeping for about half an hour, the woman awoke of her own accord, sat up, and began to recover her senses. Bodily heat returned almost immediately, and a few moments later the patient asked to be allowed to go home; she was, however, kept at the dispensary. In the evening she continued to complain of headache, but on the following day she was able to walk, and was quite well.”