Zhang, 60, was cutting firewood alone in the mountains of Shangyu district, China, when a snake latched onto his index finger and bit him. He recognized the reptile: it was, or so he believed, the so-called ‘five-step snake,’ whose name comes from the popular belief that its victim cannot take more than five steps before dying. Alone, with no signal, 80 kilometers from the nearest hospital, he took an axe and cut off his finger. He wrapped his hand in a rag and walked to the vehicle. He didn’t even pick the finger up off the ground. Doctor Yuan Chengda received him at the hospital and, after hearing the story, had to give him the worst possible news: it had all been unnecessary. The snake is indeed venomous, but there is an effective antidote that can be administered up to six hours after the bite. Zhang arrived without symptoms. There was plenty of time. The finger, meanwhile, was still in the mountain.