CASES OF SNAKE-BITES. 158 
7 times; juice of the Ivélamukhf, 7 times; fish bile, 7 times ; 
goat’s bile, 7 times; boar’s bile, 7 times; buffalo’s bile, 7 
times ; peacock’s bile, 7 times. 
What is most remarkable in the preparation of these Bish 
Badis is their final treatment with the bile of animals. Any 
preparation thus treated has nothing left of the taste of the 
other ingredients but the bitter of the gall; and the Kabirdjes 
must wae found in the latter a principle which produced a 
marked action in antidoting the snake-poisons. This fact 
argues the existence of elements common to all galls, prob- 
ably Cholic and Choleic acids and Cholesterin.* The formule 
are: Cholic acid = C,,H,,NO,,. Choleic acid, containing a 
large amount of sulphur, hitherto not obtained pure, but 
yielding when boiled in alkaline solutions a neutral sulphu- 
retted substance, Taurin =C,H,NS,O,, of remarkakly beau- 
tiful crystalline forms. 3 
Cholesterin crystallizes in brilliant, colorless lamellee, a neu- 
tral, insipid, and inodorous substance, slightly soluble in cold, 
and very soluble in boiling alcohol. It melts at 278.6° Fahr., 
being decomposed only at a very high temperature; and it 
resists the action of alkaline lixivie. Its true composition 
has probably never been determined, but it corresponds nearly 
to, H...O. 
CASES OF SNAKE-BITES. 
The following cases of snake-bites are from the official re- 
turns to the India Government, and published by Dr. Fayrer: 
No. 1. A woman, et. 36; bitten by a snake; kind not 
known; died in 28 hours. She was treated by incantations, 
charms, and native drugs. 
No. 2. A man, et. 58, bitten probably by a Cobra; died 
* Regnault’s Chem., II, p. 746. 7 See Thanatophidia. 
