of the
venom injected into the blood-stream overpowers the nerve-centres so as
to make death imminent, if not almost instantaneous, the subcutaneous
injections may be found of little use. Here intravenous injections of
half a grain and even one grain doses would appear to be indicated, and
might yet fan the flame of life afresh, even when respiration and pulse
at wrist have already ceased. We have seen both these functions extinct
in Australia and restored by comparatively small doses of the antidote,
and can see no reason why a more energetic use of it should not restore
them in India.

Considering the terrible mortality from snakebite in India, Dr.
Banerjee's merit in being the first to introduce the strychnine
treatment there is of a very high order, and his grateful countrymen
will ever cherish his memory. When his Excellency the Viceroy had been
appealed to in vain by the writer, and the adoption of his method in
India urged through two Australian Governors, a native of India has
stepped forward and taken the first step towards alleviating an evil
that has hurried over two millions of his countrymen in every century to
an untimely grave.

The cases as reported by him to the _Australasian Medical Gazette_ are
cited below.

[Illustration]

CASES.

If the deductions and conclusions set forth in the foregoing chapters
are correct, it may be justly contended that all cases of snakebite
treated with strychnine should invariably end in recovery if the
antidote is properly applied, according to the rules above detailed.
This contention the writer fully and cordially endorses. Given the
largest amount of poison a snake can give off at one bite, strychnine
injected in time and sufficient quantity--either by the hypodermic, or,
if urgent, by the intravenous method--must rouse the dormant nerve-cells
into action, as long as the vital functions are not completely extinct.
Wherever it fails, the fault lies with the operator not injecting it in
sufficient quantity--a fault committed by the writer himself in his
first case.

The following condensed accounts of fifty cases treated in Australia,
and eight in India, the writer has taken mostly from the _Australasian
Medical Gazette_. Two of these only are from his own practice; others
were kindly communicated to him by his colleagues. It is not claimed
that all these cases were rescues from certain death. Some of them
undoubtedly were, others would have recovered und