The Poisonous Snakes of India

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The Poisonous Snakes of India (1878)
by Joseph Ewart

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4235661The Poisonous Snakes of India1878Joseph Ewart

THE

POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA.

FOR

THE USE OF THE OFFICIALS AND OTHERS

RESIDING IN

THE INDIAN EMPIRE.

COMPILED BY

JOSEPH EWART, M.D., M.R.C.P., Lond.

SURGEON MAJOR IN THE BENGAL ARMY;

PROFESSOR OF PHYSIOLOGY IN THE MEDICAL COLLEGE;

SURGEON TO THE GENERAL HOSPITAL, AND FELLOW OP THE UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA;

PRESIDENT OF THE SNAKE POISON COMMISSION;

FELLOW OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, LONDON;

PRESIDENT OF THE BENGAL SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION;

LATE ACTING PRINCIPAL AND PROFESSOR OP MEDICINE, AND SENIOR PHYSICIAN, CALCUTTA MEDICAL COLLEGE AND HOSPITAL.

Medicina literis logo

LONDON

J. & A. CHURCHILL, NEW BURLINGTON STREET.

1878.

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PREFACE.

The object contemplated in publishing this small work (which may be viewed as a supplement to Sir Joseph Fayrer's magnificent "Thanatophidia of India") has been to place in the hands of the busy officials of India a handy-book, by means of which they may easily recognise any of the poisonous reptiles of the Peninsula. Sir Joseph Fayrer, K.C.S.I., when applied to, generously sanctioned the use of the beautiful plates figured in his Thanatophidia.

The scientific descriptions of Gunther, Fayrer, and Anderson have been preserved; but as all technical and other difficult terms have been fully explained in the Glossary, the text may be regarded as capable of being made intelligible to the mind of the ordinary reader. Any further attempt at popularising the work would have ended in redundancy, and rendered brevity and portability impossible. There is scarcely a term employed in the descriptions, which cannot at once be understood by a reference to the Glossary. The conciseness thus accomplished has enabled me generally to place the descriptions side by side with the Plates. This is a great advantage to men so fully employed as are the civil, medical, and police authorities of India.

It is believed that this work will meet a real want. It will enable the hard-worked civil surgeon to identify, without much trouble, poisonous snakes, a matter of great import to him in the practice of his profession, and in his capacity as-it may be the sole medical jurisprude in his district. It will also enable the English speaking and reading officials of all grades and departments to distinguish poisonous from non-poisonous snakes. It is further hoped that it will obviate the necessity of paying rewards for the capture and destruction of innocent snakes, as has frequently been done, and thus prevent the unnecessary expenditure of the public funds.

The few brief suggestions concerning treatment, down to the end of the 7th paragraph, if adopted by the non-professional persons brought into contact with those who have been poisoned, might lead to the saving of much human life. Thus there is some reason for supposing that, if the ligatures and other means recommended were applied instantly after a person has been bitten, that the absorption of the poison would be prevented or materially lessened; and that the surgeon would be placed under favourable circumstances for combating the dreadful enemy he has been summoned to oppose. Another point is that, in all probability, the excisions that were formerly practised have neither been extensive nor deep enough. My confrère, Dr. Wall, has, I believe, undertaken some most interesting experiments on the point, with a view to determine the area over which the poison is diffused from an ordinary bite, in different regions of the body. I believe the result will go to prove the absolute necessity for far more extensive excisions than have hitherto been considered needful. The minor amputations of a toe or a finger, and the large and deep excisions recommended in other parts of the body, when promptly undertaken and executed are incomparably lesser evils than those which must be encountered if any dregs of the snake poison ale left behind to infect the blood, and eventually to cause almost certain death.

CONTENTS AND LIST OF PLATES.

SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF SNAKE POISONING,

NAJA TRIPUDIANS

OPHIOPHAGUS ELAPS

BUNGARUS FASCIATUS

BUNGARUS C^RULEUS

DABOIA RUSSELLII

The Poisonous Snakes of India/ECHTS CARINATA

The Poisonous Snakes of India/TRIMERESURUS CARINATUS

TRIMERESURUS ANAMALLENSIS ERYTHRURUS

TRIMERESURUS MONTICOLA ANDERSONII

TRIMERESURUS STRIGATUS