XXII.—Case recorded by Dr. Thuau, of Baugé (Anjou médical, September, 1897).
“X., a young man of Volandry, a parish 10 kilometres from Baugé, was bitten in the heel at 10 a.m. on the 6th of last August, by an aspic, about 50 cm. in length, while engaged in harvesting. He at once had himself taken to Baugé, knowing that there was an antivenomous serum dispensary there, and about noon he arrived at the house of my confrère and friend Dr. Boell. The latter, in view of the grave symptoms exhibited by the patient (nausea, vertigo almost amounting to syncope, pain in the chest, profuse sweating, &c.), gave him, with all the customary precautions, a first injection of 10 c.c. of Calmette’s serum in the flank. After about half an hour, since the alarming symptoms did not appear to diminish, he did not hesitate to give a second injection of 10 c.c., and then had him sent to the Baugé Civil Hospital, where he came under my care about 3 p.m. I then found that this young man had been bitten in the left foot, a little below the external malleolus, midway between the latter and the plantar margin. The snake’s fangs had penetrated rather deeply; the two little wounds were about a centimetre apart. About this time the patient experienced great relief, and his general condition continued rapidly to improve. The axillary temperature was 37·8° C.
“Locally the patient complained of somewhat acute pain in the entire foot; the latter was purple and greatly swollen, and the swelling had affected the whole of the lower leg and extended to a little above the knee. I made a slight incision in the region of the two wounds caused by the bite, made the place bleed a little, and washed it with a solution of permanganate of potash, advising that the dressing should be changed several times a day. In the evening the temperature was 37° C., and never varied again from the normal until recovery was complete on August 25.
“The two injections of antivenomous serum did not produce any painful or inflammatory reaction.”
XXIII.—Case reported by Dr. Clamouse, of Saint-Epain, Indre-et-Loire.
“Léonie C., a servant at a farm, aged 19, bitten on June 1, 1900, by a red viper on the dorsal face of the left ring-finger. Somewhat serious symptoms of intoxication. In default of serum, injection of Labarraque’s fluid, 1 in 12. Serum obtained from Tours was injected at 11 p.m. on June 2, thirty-eight hours after the accident.
“On the morning of June 3, very marked improvement. On June 7, general condition excellent. Recovery.”
XXIV.—Case reported by Dr. G. Moreau, of Neung-sur-Beuvron, Loir-et-Cher.
“A. B., aged 12, living at Villeny, in the canton of Neung-sur-Beuvron (Loir-et-Cher), was bitten on June 23, 1900, on the left external malleolus. The parents contented themselves with applying a ligature above the wound, and did not bring the child to me until 12.15 p.m.
“Tumefaction of the entire foot. Ecchymosis of the skin extending half-way up the leg. General condition excellent. I gave antiseptically an injection of 10 c.c. of antivenomous serum in the right flank, followed by a draught of acetate of ammonia and syrup of ether. Damp bandage applied to wound and swollen part.