170 ON ANIMAL AND 



which other animals uniformly experience from 

 the bite of this very formidable serpent. 



The poison, both of the rattle snake and of the 

 cobra de capello, is collected and preserved by 

 the untutored Indians for the purpose of arm- 

 ing- their arrows ; and the consequences of the 

 wounds they inflict, from an instrument so de- 

 structive, may be easily anticipated. The food 

 of these snakes is confined to birds, and to 

 small animals. 



There are many other poisonous serpents of a 

 very dangerous character to be met with in Ame- 

 rica, in Africa, and in the East and West Indies; 

 but as the two, we have noticed, may be consi- 

 dered the most formidable, we have thought it 

 sufficient to confine our observations to them ; 

 more particularly as the symptoms which follow 

 the bites of all such venomous animals, appear 

 to be much the same, differing only in degree 

 and consequences. 



Pain, swelling, discoloration of the parts af- 

 fected ; an extension of these symptoms to those 

 parts through which the poison has to pass on its 

 way to the system, and an enlargement and dis- 

 coloration of the whole body ; a small quick 

 pulse, fainting fits, vomiting, jaundice, delirium, 

 hiccup, and convulsions close the scene, and 

 mark the fatal issue in those cases where speedy 

 relief has not been obtained, or where the natural 



