Cenchris Contortrix

Main

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF

PURE MATERIA MEDICA

By TIMOTHY F. ALLEN, A.M., M.D.

Presented by Médi-T

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, aet. 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] .