On the nature of snake-poison / [Sir Joseph Fayrer].

  • Joseph Fayrer
Date:
[1884]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the nature of snake-poison / [Sir Joseph Fayrer]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    2 £/ 24 dyle of femur, and immediately over internal saphena vein. Appearance that of a small pin-puncture; lower part of leg rather swollen. On removing the skin from the region of the wound, there was found great sero-sanguineous ex- travasation into the surrounding tissues, and the muscles were soft and infiltrated with blood ; the internal saphena vein was punctured. The venous system on the left side much congested. The glands in left groin, in long axis of limb, enormously enlarged and congested. Glands in right groin normal; pericardium normal. Heart, right cavities of, full of fluid blood; left cavities empty; valves healthy ; no clots. Lungs normal. Liver congested, and slightly enlarged. Gall-bladder fully distended. Spleen somewhat enlarged, otherwise normal. Stomach slightly congested, rugae well marked ; contents, a small quantity of glairy mucus. Kidneys normal. Omentum contained much adi- pose tissue. Intestines normal. Bladder normal, contained a small quantity of urine. Brain somewhat congested, otherwise normal. Blood in a fluid state. The snake which inflicted the fatal wound was not seen ; in all probability Colonel M. trod on one asleep, which then struck at him. The systemic shock was at once apparent after receipt of the injury, which is accounted for by the puncture of the internal saphena vein, and the introduction of the poison direct into the general circulation. The clothing traversed by the fang of the snake was, first, cloth garter; second, khakee riding-breeches ; third, drawers of light material. From the high situation of the puncture, the opinion of competent judges was that the snake which in- flicted the wound was a “ black mamba,” one of the large African vipers, species not determined. The following were exhibited :— Crania of innocent snakes. Crania of venomous colubrine snakes. Crania of viperine snakes. Dissections of muscular apparatus for erecting fangs. Dissections of poison gland and duct. Models of fangs. Drawings of the above. Also coloured figures of venomous snakes of India. The following snakes were exhibited :— Naja tripudians, bungarus ceruleus, bungarus fasciatus, callophis, elaps corallinus, daboia russellii, echis carinata, vipera rhinoceros, vipera cerastes, lachesis mutus, crotalus durissus, pelias berus, and several non-venomous snakes.
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