194 On the Cure of Perfons hitiex 



with a phial of the volatile cauflic alkali, who found him, 

 when he arrived, quite torpid, with the faliva running out of 

 his mouth, and his jaws fo faft locked as to render it ne- 

 ccflary to ufe an inftrument to open them and adminifter 

 the medicine. About forty drops of the volatile cauftic fpirit 

 were given to him in water, and applied to the wound ; and 

 the fame dofc repeated a few minutes after. In about half 

 an hour he was perfectly recovered. On examining the part 

 bitten, I could difcover the marks of three fangs ; two on 

 one fide, and one on the other ; and, from the diltance they 

 were afunder, I fliould judge it a large fnake. More than 

 ten minutes did not appear to have elapfed from the time of 

 his beino- bitten till the medicine was adminiftered. The 



o 



wounds healed immediately, and he was able to attend to 

 his duty the next dav. Though the fpecies of fnake was not 

 afcertained, yet I judge, from the flow of faliva from the 

 mouth, convulfive fpafms of the jaws and throat, as well as 

 from the marks of three fangs, that it muft have been a 

 Cobra de Capello; and though I have met with five and 

 fix fanas of different fizes in fnakes of that fpecies, I never 

 obferved the marks of more than two having been applied 

 in biting in any other cafe which came within my know- 

 ledge. 



VI. In September 1786 a fervant belonging to Captain 



S , who was then at Benares, was bitten iii the leg by 



a large Cobra de Capello. He faw the fnake coming to- 

 wards him, with his neck fpread out in a very tremendous 

 manner, and endeavoured to avoid him ; but, before he 

 could get out of his way, the fnake fcized him by the lecf, 

 and fecured his hold for fome time, as if he had not been 

 able to extricate his teeth. Application was immediately 

 made to his mafter for a remedy, who fent to confult me ; 

 but, before I arrived, had given him a quantity of fweet oil, 

 which he drank. So foon as I faw him, I directed the ufual 

 dofe of volatile caultic alkali to be given, which fortunately 

 brought away the oil from his ftomach, or it is probable 



that 



