Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-15
First Aid to the Injured
In Cases Of Snake Bite

OIL Missing may tnrOW tne poibOH scNci a.
feet. The blow is delivered with lightning
rapidity, and the fangs are instantly sunk
into the victim. No snake can leap ell
tirely from the ground, nor can 1t strike
more than two-thirds it's own length, uri-
less 1t has the advantage of striking down
hill or from some purchase on a rock or
bush. A snake does not expend all its
venom at one blow. 1t ise not rendered
permanently, harmless by extracting It's
fangs, for it will promptly grow new ones.
A venomous snake is immune against Its
own poison, and probably against that of
other poisonous reptiles, but non-poison-
Gus snakes are not immune The bite OF
even newly-born snake of venomous
species Is serious.
Bite Is Painful
The bite of venomous reptile is in
tensely painful. The victim soon be-
comes dull and languid, breathing win
difficulty. The venom first enfeebles the
heart, then the breathing apparatus. II
this early depression passes over, recov-
cry is often sudden; but If the quantity
of venom injected be large death may
follow, in man, within twenty minutes.
The tendency of the poison is to spread
very rapidly through the system, making
the blood thin and destroying its power
to clot. AT the same time it rots the
general seepage of blood throughout the
system. In some cases a whole limb is
soaked to the bone with decomposed
blood. There is always Inflammation
around the wound with great pain.
Much depends upon the part struck.
Bites on the bare skin are more dam
gerous than those received through the
clothing. A bite in the extremities Is
rarely fatal. In a large majority OF cases
the wound does not touch an important
blood vessel and the patient will recover
with no other treatment than ligature
promptly applied and free bleeding and
sucking of the wound.
| Many species of wild plants are popu-
| larly supposed to have the property OF
neutralizing the venom of serpents, burt
scientific research has failed to demon
strate that any of them have any effect
on the poison at all. This, notwith-
standing that probably all of the re-
puted snake masters" have been identi-
fed and their physiological action de-
| termined. However, l have received
such positive and respectable testimony
| to the efficacy of the following three
plants that 1 would like their properties
thoroughly tested:
| 1. Common violet viola cacullata).
| 2. Cedron seed (the fluid extract.
| 8. Sanicle (sanicula Marylandica).
| When man Is bitten he should in
stantly twist tourniquet very tightly be-
tween the wound and the heart, to keep
! the poison, as far as possible, from enter
| ing the system. Then cut the wound wide
open, SO thafit may bleed freely, and suck
the wound, if practicable (the poison is
harmless, If swallowed, but not if it gets
into the circulation through an abrasion
| in the mouth or through hollow tooth).
Loosen the ligature before long to admit
| fresh blood to the injured part, but tighten
| it again very soon, and repeat this alter
nate Tightening and ioosening for con-
siderable time. The object is to admit
| only a little of the poison at time into
| the general circulation. Meantime drink
whisky in moderate doses, but at frequent
| intervals If a great quantity is guzzed
all at once it will do more harm than
good Whisky is not an antidote; 1T has
| no effect at all on the venom; its service
| Is simply as a stimulant for the heart and
lungs, thus helping the system itself t.
throw off the poison, and as bracer tc
the victims nerves, helping him over thu
crisis
! The Positive Antidote
The only known positive antidotes
for snake venom, in the form of drugs
! are chronic acid, potassium perman
] ganate and strychnine. administered
hypodermically OF the former, a
per cent solution Is used. AS for the
| permanganate, 1t is easy to carry In
crystallized form, and 1 have frequent
ly seen recommendations that 1t be
carried in that way, to be dissolved in
water before injecting, or to be merely
rubbed into the opened wound. But a
man may be struck when he is far
| from water. do not believe that the
crystals can be brought into close
enough contact with the seat of the
wound (bottom of puncture) with GER
tainty. nor that they will dissolve
quickly enough in blood to do very
much good. My own practice. when
| travelling in a snake country" is to
| carry solution of the permanganate
| in a lass-stoppered tube, together with
| a similar tube containing a solution of
| strychnine, and a hypodermic syringe.
Promptitude with these remedies, after
| ligating, may be depended upon to
cure the bite. Fresh permanganate
solution should be made at intervals
to avoid precipitation. Chronic acid
does not precipitate.
| AS for the use of the hypodermic
syringe, I, here copy, by permission, a
clear and concise article on this subject
prepared expressly for explorers and
other campers by DIR. H Plympton, and
published in Abercrombie & Fitch's
catalogue:
\ Use of the Hypodermic
The following article gives directions
for using the syringe and four remedies
which are most likely to be needed.
These four remedies are:
First-Potassium permanganate in half
grain tablets.
Second-Cocaine and morphine tablets
composed of cocain, one-fifth grain; NOR
phine, one-fortieth grain; soda chlor., one
fifth grain.
Third-Morphine in one-duarter1grain
tablets.
Fourth = strichnia in one-fortieth-
grain tablets.
These four remedies are all that are
absolutely necessary for emergencies,
such as venomous insect, reptile or snake
bite, exhaustion. shock, heart failure,
minor surgical operations and alaying
intense pain.
The object of hypodermic medication Is
to get the remedy into the blood as quick
ly as possible and to introduce it as near
as may be to the seat of injury or the
pain. To insure its rapid assimilation
by the blood, the medicine should be in