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Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

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RESIDENCE AT TARAPOTO 63<br />

terrible a pain that he ran off in the direction of his<br />

house as fast as he could. He judged an hour<br />

might have elapsed since he was bitten, and the<br />

hand and arm as far as the elbow were already<br />

dreadfully swollen and livid, while the pulse even<br />

in the left arm was scarcely sensible. We bandaged<br />

the arm above the elbow, and as Mr. Nelson averred<br />

that his mouth was perfectly sound I allowed him<br />

to suck the wound, which was merely two fine<br />

punctures<br />

finger ; but<br />

in the wrist on a line with the little<br />

the time was evidently past for either<br />

suction or bandaging, for Chumbi declared he felt<br />

excruciating pain in every part of his body. I also<br />

made him swallow three wine-glasses of camphorated<br />

rum, and we bathed the arm with the same spirit.<br />

<strong>The</strong>n we got him on his feet, and, one of us holding<br />

him on each side, we walked him up and down by<br />

the house. After a few turns he declared he could<br />

walk no more, and begged us to let him sit down ;<br />

but after sitting a few minutes the pain returned<br />

with redoubled violence, and the pulse, which had<br />

beat a little stronger with the stimulant and the<br />

exercise, again became imperceptible. So we forced<br />

him up again, and made him walk as long as we<br />

could ;<br />

then<br />

wrapped up the wrist in cotton soaked<br />

with spirit, and every now and then gave him a<br />

glass of the same, into which I threw a quantity<br />

of quinine. At short intervals we also gave<br />

him strong coffee, which evidently enlivened him.<br />

Still, with all we could do, and although we con-<br />

trived to keep up the circulation, the<br />

gained on us, and by night the whole arm up to<br />

the shoulder was so much swollen and discolourec<br />

as more to resemble the branch of a tree than

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