Give spirits strong, that is, one tablespoonful to one of water; at least four such doses in the first hour. Ammonia may also be given.
If the patient is heavy and stupid, give two tablets of strychnine (one-hundredth of a grain in each) in half a wine-glassful of water, by the mouth; or dissolve two in twenty drops of water, and inject well beneath the skin into the muscles of the back. If there is no improvement within an hour, give two more tablets; and if necessary, one or two more in another hour.
After tying up a limb for a poisonous bite, there will be great pain if the ligatures have been applied tightly; the parts will swell, become very dusky, and if the ligatures are left on too long, the blood supply will be cut off, and the parts will die. Therefore, when the ligatures begin to cause much pain, loosen the one next the injured part for ten seconds, then tie again at or near the same place, and loosen the other one for a similar period, and then re-tie; repeat this about every fifteen minutes. In the course of two hours, both tapes may be taken off. The object of tying up is to prevent much of the poison getting into the system at once.
The first thing is to tie up tightly; next cut freely, and suck or squeeze out as much blood as possible, then treat with drugs.
(It is usually safe to suck a poisoned wound unless there are any abrasions or cracks in the mouth, tongue, gums, or lips, taking care to spit out the poison at once; but the mouth should be washed out immediately afterwards with a light purple solution of permanganate of potash.)
If the wounds are on the face, neck, or other spot which cannot be tied up, then it is best to cut out the part at once and wipe the wound well with the strong solution of permanganate.
In the treatment of snake-bite, pure carbolic acid, ordinary caustic, a red-hot wire, or even a burning stick may be applied to the wounds when permanganate of potash cannot be obtained. In some cases, where no other treatment is available, it is advisable to explode a pinch of gun-powder over the place of injury, or even to blow the parts away with one’s gun.
If a finger or toe is bitten by a snake which is certainly poisonous, and neither drugs nor fire are at hand, it would be best to amputate at once.
Wounds inflicted by poisoned arrows or other weapons, mad dogs, jackals, etc., should be treated in a similar manner to those caused by poisonous snakes.