the exact locality where Rahimudden had been
bitten, gives the following description of it:--Head, large and
triangular; nostrils, large and kidney-shaped; scales, much
imbricate, ventral scales 169, subcaudals 48; confluent, irregular
ring-like, dark brown spots along the back, and with lateral black
patches or rings with white borders. The head marking very
peculiar double V shaped mark, the angle directed between the
nostrils; interstitial coloration, yellowish brown, belly white,
and with brown or amber spots; eyes, large, pupils erect, irides
yellow; body, stout and compressed laterally; poison fangs, large
and recurved, size about half an inch. The length of snake was 3
feet 5 inches, and from these characters it was identified to be
the chain viper (_Duboia Russellii_, _Gray_), the most venomous of
Indian vipers.

The total quantity of the antidote in this case administered was
only 110 minims of a one in 120 solution of strychniae acetas, or
11/12ths of a grain of that drug. Considering the extremely
venomous nature of the snake and the large quantities of
strychnine required in some of the previously reported cases of
echis and bungarus bites, the quantity used seems disproportional,
but this evidently is explained by the fact that only one of the
fangs perforated deeply, and at the back of the foot, probably
struck the bone before entering to its full length, the snake thus
failing to impart the full quantity of venom at its disposal.

The chief interest of Dr. Banerjee's cases centres in the fact
that they are mostly viper-bites. They prove conclusively, as do
Feoktistow's experiments on the lower animals, that the theory of
viper-poison being a blood poison, as asserted in all works on the
subject, is not tenable and must be abandoned. If it effected
changes in the blood, incompatible with life, strychnine, acting
solely on the nerve-centres, could not possibly obliterate these
changes within a few hours or even days. On the other hand the
successful treatment of bungarus bite with strychnine places it
beyond doubt that cobra-poison will also yield to it, if
fearlessly and vigorously applied.

It is most gratifying to the writer to know from good authority
that Sir Joseph Fayrer, the President of the Medical Board at the
India office, has recommended to the En