Snake-bites
Snake-bites are not so invariably serious as a great manypeople believe. But there are several varieties of snakes whose bites are poisonous, and if neglected are likely to cause serious symptoms or prove fatal—sometimes, also, in spite of care. The bite of the Texas reptile called the gila monster is classed by some as fatally poisonous, yet by others is said not to be. While it may not be fatally poisonous, its bite is certainly as serious as that of the venomous snakes. The bite of a poi¬sonous snake shows the imprint of the teeth, outside of which appear fang punctures. The fang punctures are absent in bites from non-venomous snakes—but such snakes rarely bite, instinctively knowing that their defense does not lie in such a weapon as their teeth. The amount of poison injected and the kind of snake govern to a great extent the symptoms; but some patients have all the symptoms and yet recover.