Case 36.—Son of Mr. J. Beveridge, squatter, of Glengower, treated successfully by Dr. Andrew, of Clunes, with strychnine injections.
Case 37.—Theresa Byrne, aged 14 years, bitten whilst bathing, snake not seen. Treated by Dr. Cuppaidge, of Normanby, Queensland. Only 18 minims of L. S. required.
Case 38.—Mr. Bullock, of Tenterfield, N.S.W., bitten by black snake and treated by Dr. Morice.
Case 39.—A boy, J. Taylor, bitten at Mount Keat, agricultural settlement, Queensland, by a black snake, and treated successfully by a layman, Mr. James Daniels.
Case 40.—George Neilson, a Danish miner, bitten by a tiger snake whilst bathing. Case reported by Dr. Gamble, of Walhalla. Forty minims of liq. strych. required; recovery complete next morning.
Cases 41 and 42, reported by Dr. Helsham, of Richmond, N.S.W. In one of these where, judging from the symptoms, a large dose of snake-poison had been absorbed, but very small doses of strychnine were injected, convulsions set in, whilst coma was still present, and lasted for two hours. Though semi-tetanic in appearance they were erroneously ascribed to m. xxvi. of liq. strychniæ, which at the time of their appearance had not removed the symptoms of snake-poison. They were evidently produced by the latter and quite on a par with those occasionally occurring in man before the strychnine is administered, and almost invariably in dogs. As long as coma is present with other symptoms denoting the snake-poison to be in active operation, such convulsions rather call for the antidote, than contra indicate its use, for the strychnine never produces them until it has completely conquered the snake-poison, and even then they are always preceded by local spasms and never set in suddenly. Timid medical men, when administering the antidote and anxiously watching for the dreaded strychnine effects, are too apt to see them in the slightest irregular muscular action.
Case 43, reported by Dr. Johnson, of Avoca, patient bitten by a tiger snake, was comatose, pulseless, with very shallow respiration, &c., and restored by three injections of m. xvi., xv. and x. within less than three hours.
Case 44.—Reported in Australian Journal of Pharmacy, from Tasmania, treated by Dr. Tofft, of Campbell Town. The report concludes: We have had some fatal cases of snakebite already this season, and the successful treatment in the above case has created a strong feeling in favour of strychnine in such emergencies.
Cases 45 to 49.—Reported by Dr. Alex. Barber to A.M. Gazette. He writes: "During the last year I treated four cases of snakebite successfully with strychnine. In one of these, a bite of a brown snake, I injected three doses of m. xx. each of liq. strych. P.B., in all over half a grain, in one hour."
Case 50.—Reported by Dr. Barrington, of Benalla (Vic.), bite of tiger snake, symptoms moderate. Completely removed in three hours by 57 minims of liq. strych. P.B.