Crotalus Horridus

Authorities. 16, Dr. Renzger, Lancet, 1829-30 (2), p. 90, a child, cet. two years, was bitten on the left cheek, and died in a few' minutes; 17, Dr. Pihorel, Loud. Med. Gaz., vol. xxix, 1841-42 (1), p. 487, Mr. Drake was bitten, and died in nine hours; 18, Bost. INIed. and Surg. Journ., vol. xxxi, 1844, p. 208, Dr. Stadia was bitten on the right hand ; 19, T. A. Atchison, South. Journ. of Med. and Phys. Sci. (Bost. Med. and Surg. Journ., vol. xlviii, p. 200), M iss R., set. seventeen years, was bitten on the left instep; 20, J. C. Blackburn, Nelson’s Amer. Lancet (ibid., p. 488), a negress was bitten on the ankle; 21, L. E. Whiting, Bost. Med. and Surg. Journ., vol. 1, 1854, p. 258, Mr. B. was bitten on the little finger; 22, John T. Jones, M.D., South. Med. and Phys. Journ., vol. vi, 1858, p. 376, a girl, set. eighteen years, was bitten just above the right ankle and on the anterior portion of the leg; 23, Geo. T. Jerkins, M.D., Med. and Surg. Reporter, vol. xxii, 1870, p. 458, Chas. S. was bitten on the right forefinger; 24. J. F. Richardson, M.D., Philada. Med. Times, 1879 (1), p. 306, Mr. R. was bitten on the left ringfinger.

Countenance of a deadly paleness; eyes half open and staring; mouth covered wdtii foam; extremities cold and insensible; pulsation of heart irregular, trembling, and scarcely perceptible ; respiration slow and laborious; body perfectly motionless, and covered with cold viscous sweat; eyes and ears appeared to be inaccessible to any impressions (in ten minutes) ; face slightly convulsed (after fifteen minutes),*®.—[_430.] Almost as quick as thought the hand commenced swelling, and before the preventive could be applied the place of the bite had swollen to the size of a butternut, and so closed the wound that the medicine, if there was any virtue in it, could not take effect. Within one hour after he was bitten he was so overcome by its effects that he could not sit up; went to his bed ; was bled as often as once an hour during the succeeding night; lingered through the next day until about 7 oclock in the evening,'®.—Paleness; breathing stertorous; involuntary passage of urine and fbeces; pupils contracted; complained of cold and vomited ; the vomiting repeated every half hour; the matter thrown up of a yellowish-green color and fetid; difficult swallowing ; anxiety ; pulse scarcely perceptible,".—Almost moribund, pulse wavy and scarcely perceptible at the wrist, surface cold and bathed in perspiration, face swollen, with a besotted expression, mind wandering, pupils dilated, could not see, declaring it was very dark although candles were burning in the room, asked frequently if it was not raining hard, although the night was calm and clear,'®.—Deathly sick; cold rigors running over her; pulse 120, small, quick, and threadlike; the entire leg was swollen to twice its normal size,®".—In about forty minutes the finger was enormously swollen, aud the hand also, for about half way to the wrist,®'.—Foot and leg much swollen ; extreme nausea and frequent puking ; covered with cold perspiration, and shivering like one in the cold stage of an intermittent; anxious countenance; hurried breathing; pulse frequent and feeble; involuntary evacuations of urine every few minutes (after three hours),®®.— Suffering the most intense pain in the entire arm, which was swollen to more than twice its natural size, and of a livid, spotted color; respiration quick and laborious; pulse weak, and 115 per minute; surface covered with cold sweat; terrible state of nervous agitation (after four hours),”.— On the second day the hand and arm was greatly swollen to the shoulder; otherwise the case appeared to be doing well. Thus passed four days, he suffering some cerebral pain and malaise. On the fifth day he spoke of a feeling of soreness in the flesh of the right hip, and on examination a jetblack spot some two inches in diameter was discovered, with elevation or thickening of the skin to the extent of about one line, edges well defined. During the next four days this discoloration extended up to a level with the umbilicus, completely around the body, and down the lower extremities, disappearing at the toes last, when convalescence was established,”.