Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Friday 6 December 1878, page 5


FATAL SNAKE BITE.

[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.] (FROST OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

ALEXANDRA, Thursday.

A fatal case of snake bite occurred near Alexandra > yesterday evening About 5 o'clock a boy over 12 years of age, son of a farmer named M'Fadden, was bitten on the hand by a tiger snake The boy was engaged planting potatoes for his father, who at the time was ploughing in the same paddock While in the act of taking some potatoes out of a bag which had been placed the same morning on the ground, he felt a sudden sting on the back of his hand, and on looking down discovered a snake of the deadly tiger species, about 3ft long, coiled in the bag On calling for assistance the snake was immediately killed, and the father of the boy at once tied a ligature round the waist and immediately above the wound, at the same time scarifying it and burning it with gunpowder The boy was then taken into Alexandra, and medical attendance procured within an hour after being bitten Brandy was freely administered, but finding that of no avail Dr 1 Fergusson injected ammonia in the boy's arm and thigh, when he seemed to revive for a short time, but soon afterwards began gradually to sink, his hand turning almost black, and being much swollen, and although brandy and ammonia were again given, the unfortunate lad never recovered but died about 12 o'clock to day- hardly 20 hours after being bitten