2. _Swelling_ at the bite area is present in every case of poisoning. It will appear within five to 30 minutes. In a severe case, the swelling may continue to spread for 24 hours. There will be no swelling from a bite by a non-poisonous snake or by a poisonous snake that injected no venom. [Illustration: Snakebite swelling] 3. _Discoloration_, reddish or bruise-like in appearance, begins around the fang punctures within a half hour and becomes gradually more extensive. Intense local pain is symptomatic of coral snake poisoning but, unlike a case of pit-viper poisoning, swelling and discoloration are not pronounced. Diagnosis of coral snake envenomation is difficult and must be based primarily on systemic symptoms: headaches, weakness, lethargy and facial paralysis. SEVERITY OF THE BITE Even after the bite has been diagnosed as venomous, it is not immediately possible to predict the course it will follow. The severity of each case of snake poisoning is determined by the speed with which symptoms progress. Although the bite of a large snake is generally more serious than one caused by a small snake, the seriousness of a bite cannot be gauged by snake size alone. Some variable factors that affect the severity of each case include: 1. Age, size and health of the victim. 2. His allergy complex and sensitivity to protein poisoning. 3. His emotional condition immediately after having been bitten. 4. Location of bite on the victim. 5. Amount of fang penetration and venom injection. 6. Number of times the victim was bitten. 7. Kind and size of snake that bit him. 8. Whether or not the snake recently had eaten. 9. Conditions of the snake’s fangs. 10. How soon treatment was administered. FIRST AID TREATMENT It is important that every snake bite victim receive first aid treatment as soon as possible. The patient must not exert himself by running, because increased circulation brought on by such physical activity will speed up absorption of the poison. For the same reason, the use of whiskey or other stimulants should be avoided. The victim’s state of mind is important; he must promptly be convinced that his chances for recovery are good—and, indeed, they are. He should not be terrified by the thought that every snake bite means certain death. Actually, a survey of case histories shows that with prompt and proper treatment, only about one or two per cent of all snake bites in this country are fatal. There is a considerable difference of opinion about the correct first aid treatment for poisonous snake bite. The Division of Medical Sciences of the National Research Council, a section of the National Academy of Sciences, recently made a study to determine the most effective method of such treatment. It recommended immobilization of the bitten limb, application of a constricting band, and prompt incision and suction.