1872 The Zoologist— October, J 869 



dreamed of in the pbilosoph y of ibe ' Pioneer's ' editorial ' We ' is very 

 evident from tlie inlroductoiy remarks to the article anent Tobacco 

 and Snake Biles, in the issue of this morning. It is very possible 

 that priests — even in Bolivia — may appropriate and smoke (or even 

 chew !) more divine and sometimes less fragrant matter than the noted 

 weed of the Yuracare Indians; but ibis does not in any way detract 

 from the gravity of the statement put forward by M. J. Rambossa, in 

 his ' Histoire des Plantes,' as the following facts may tend to prove : — 

 In 1854 there was an old Mussulman snake-charmer at Cawnpore, 

 who invariably used the remains of his hookal chillura as a remedy for 

 the bites of poisonous snakes. The "eldest son" or " medicine man" 

 of many of the Kaffir tribes in Southern Africa, at the present day, 

 uses the tobacco-oil and pipe-scrapings of the oldest " clay" in camp, 

 as the " sovereignest thing on earth" for the bite of the puff-adder. 

 A notice appeared in ' Land and Water,' at least six months ago, 

 detailing the method of using this remedy as practiced by the said 

 Kaffirs. I believe I am correct in saying that Dr. Shortt, Superin- 

 tendent of Vaccination, Madras, who is now conducting some most 

 interesting and careful experiments with poisonous snakes, is aware 

 of the above facts, and we may in time hear of the result of his 

 labours. To those of your readers who are interested in the natural 

 history of snakes in general, and cobras in particular, I would suggest 

 the following experiments : — Catch, or have caught for you, a healthy 

 cobra; open his mouth, and jjlace therein a good pinch of well- 

 pounded tobacco, moisten this with a drop or two of water or spirit, 

 and let the snake go. The effect of the tobacco upon the nervous 

 system of the snake will become evident before he has crawled a 

 dozen yards ; and if the dose is strong enough, the snake will shortly 

 die from its effects. Married men or nervous batchelors may employ 

 the old grey -bearded faquier, who wanders about cantonments with a 

 bangly-load of snakes and scorpions to conduct this experiment for 

 them : he lives at E-ussoolpore, on the Junma bank ; and handles 

 cobras, in the full possession of their faculties, with the sublimest art 

 and most supreme indiflerence. — Yours truly, Hal." 



The following accoiuits of the " cobra experiments" by Dr. Shortt, 

 before alluded to, has been extracted from the ' Athenasum and Daily 

 News,' Madras, March 15, 1867 :— 



" A correspondent of the ' Athenaeum and Daily News,' of Madras, 

 sends a further account of some cobra experiments. He says as 



