ON THE NATURE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL 

 ACTION OF THE POISON OF NAJA 

 TRIPUDIANS AND OTHER INDIAN 

 VENOMOUS SNAKES.— Part IL 



By T. Lauder Brunton, M.D., Sc.D., M.E.C.P., and J. Fayrer, 

 C.S.I., M.D., F.R.C.P.Lond., FRS.E., Surgeon-Major Bengal 

 Army. 



(Reprinted from the Proceedings of the Royal Society, No. 149, 1874.) 



The effects of the poison of Naja tripiidians are probably the 

 same as those of Opliioi^hagus elaps, Bwngarns, Hydrophidse, and 

 other poisonous colubrine snakes, whilst that of Dctboia Bussellii 

 is similar to that of Echis carinata, and also of the Trimerestiri, 

 which represent the viperine snakes in India. 



Just as the JVaja may be regarded as among the most virulent 

 of the colubrine, the Bahoia is probably as venomous as any of 

 the viperine snakes, it being very deadly ; whilst the Crotalidse 

 are but feebly represented in India by the Trim^resuri. 



The venomous colubrine snakes in India are represented by 

 the Naja tripudians, Ophiophagus elaps, Bungarus fasdatui, 

 B. coeruleus, Xenurelaps hmgaroides, and the various species of 

 Callophis and Hydrophidse ; whilst among the viperine snakes 

 the Viperidse, or vipers, are represented in India by only two 

 genera, each with a single species, Bahoia Bussellii, Bchis 

 carinata ; the Crotalidse, or pit-vipers, by the various Trimere- 

 suri, Beltopelor, Halys, Hyynale, though these are much less 

 active than their American congeners. 



The Bahoia, however, may be considered as virulent as the 

 most deadly form of the Yiperidse of Africa, or probably as the 

 Crotalus or Craspedocephalus of the pit-vipers of America and 

 the West Indies. 



