AGKISTRODON CONTORTRIX.
Copperhead snake.
Authorities.
1, Mr.
Arnold, Med. Times and Gaz., 1873 (2), p. 461, symptoms produced on John Brown by the bite; 2, Mr. A’Beckett’s account of the same case, ibid; 3, Mr. Woolridge’s account, ibid.; 4,
E. M. Schaeffer, M.D., Field and Forest, vol. i, p. 12, a man, æt. twenty-one years, was
bitten on the right hand.►
Symptoms of coma (after two hours), [1]. ► Semiconscious state (after
some hours), [2]. ►
Cornea insensible to touch (after six hours), [3]. ► Pupils sluggish and dilated (after some hours), [2]. ► Pupils possessed
only of the minutest power of contraction and considerably dilated (after six hours), [3]. ► Indistinct vision
(after two hours), [1]. ►
Wild appearance of countenance, [1]. ► Countenance rather approaching a livid hue, features swollen
(after six hours), [1]. ►
Considerable swelling about the upper lip (after two hours), [1].
[10.] ► Vomiting
(after two hours), [1]. ►
Breathing rather slow (after six hours), [1]. ► Weak pulse (after two hours, [1].
► Pulse slow and very weak (after some hours), [2]. ► Pulse of large
volume, weak, and about 70 (after six hours), [3]. ► Limbs paralyzed (after six hours), [3]. ► Pain in the finger, [1]. ► Paralysis of lower
extremities (after two hours), [1]. ► Stiffness of the legs, [1].
► Complete prostration (after two hours), [1]. [20.] ►
Drowsiness (after two hours), [1]. ► Cold perspiration (after two hours), [1]. ► Surface of body cold and
clammy (after some hours), [2]. ►
The wound at once gave him some pain, like the sting of
a wasp, as he described it, and in a few minutes he began to vomit. This continued until his
stomach was emptied, when he still experienced violent retching. He then became deadly
faint, and lay down. Dr Klein-schmidt described his appearance four hours later as that of a
person in the last stage of collapse; skin cold, pulse nearly gone, respiration feeble, and
pupils widely dilated, with great dimness of vision. The right hand and arm were fearfully
swollen, of a grayish-black color, resembling gangrene. He passed a feverish night, but was
much better Sunday. On Monday evening I found him nearly free from pain, though the arm was
still swollen to nearly the size of a man’s thigh. From this time he progressed rapidly
towards recovery, and in less than a week was out, with his arm in a sling, [4].® 2000
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