Snake Bite Lancet
Object detail
Description
A portable kit used to treat snake bite. The kit contains a small knife used to open the snake bite and crystals (potassium permanganate, a.k.a. Condy's Crystals) that were rubbed into the wound. These are housed within a light, wooden cylindrical tube which is capped at either end. The caps are removed to reveal either the lancet at one end or the crystals at the opposite end.
Classification
MEDICINE First Aid
Measurements
L66 x Diam.12 mm
Media/Materials description
Wood, steel.
Signature/Marks
<Text printed in red ink> Snake-bite Lancet \ SUGGESTED BY \ Sir Lauder Brunton \ INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE \ THE SNAKE BITE MUST \ BE IMMEDIATELY OPEN- \ EDWITH THE LANCET \ AND THE CRYSTALS RUB- \ BED INTO THE WOUND \ AT ONCE. A LITTLE WATER \ OR SALIVA AD- \ DED TO THE CRYSTALS \RENDERS THEM MORE \ EFFACACIOUS \ SANAY
History and use
This kit contains a knife, used to cut open a snake bite wound, and potassium permanganate crystals, known as Condy's Crystals, that were rubbed into the wound to absorb the infected blood. It was once believed that cutting open the wound, removing the venom by suction and then applying a tourniquet would be the most effective treatment but it has since been proven that this method has little effect, and can cause more damage and harmful infection than the snake venom.
This type of treatment was popular in the early 20th century and kits like these would be common in travel bags and household first aid. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the current method of pressure/immobilisation was introduced.
Uploaded to the Web 27 May 2011.
This type of treatment was popular in the early 20th century and kits like these would be common in travel bags and household first aid. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the current method of pressure/immobilisation was introduced.
Uploaded to the Web 27 May 2011.
Registration number
H15971
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