1880 Thk Zoologist — October, 1869. 



something on a stone he administered it to her. We then left, direct- 

 ing that a report of the progress of the woman's case should be made 

 from time to time. In about two hours another swooning fit was re- 

 ported — the previous ones having recurred at intervals of about a 

 quarter of an hour. Subsequent reports announced her steady pro- 

 gress and complete recovery. That night she was kept forcibly awake, 

 by the instructions of the man who had administered the antidote, as 

 a precaution on account of the long time she had been under the 

 influence of the snake-poison before he was called in. 



" This case led me to make inquiries about the person who had 

 treated it so successfully, and I sent for him : on questioning him as 

 to the nature of the antidote he was very reserved at first, but, on my 

 offering to take him into my service, he grew more communicative. 

 He subsequently entered ray service, and revealed to me the secret of 

 liis antidote, giving me some of his material. So confident was he in 

 its efficacy, that he offered to allow himself to be bitten by any snake ; 

 but this was a test that it hardly required the fatal example of Mr. 

 Drummond's case at Melbourne to place out of the question. To test 

 the efficacy of the antidote, however, by experiments 'in corpore vili,' 

 I sought the co-operation of Dr. Macbeth, who, I was aware, took 

 great interest in the subject, and hence a series of experimeuts which 

 are recorded in the ' Indian JMedical Gazette.' 



" On Oct. 2nd, 1868, a resident of Old Gwalior, a carpenter, came 

 to the Residency in much apparent distress, to say that his wife had 

 been bitten by a snake, and had become inseiisible from the effects: 

 hearing, he added, that there was a person in my employ who could 

 administer relief, he had come to seek it. I sent my servant back 

 with him ; he administered the antidote to the woman, which, as he 

 reported on his return in the evening, had brought her round. The 

 following morning I sent to inquire how the woman was ; and desired 

 that, if quite recovered, her husband (the carpenter) and she should ap- 

 pear at n)y office : they duly came the same day. The marks of the 

 bite were distinctly visible on the woman's finger ; but she had quite re- 

 covered from the effects of the poison : 1 had the man's deposition 

 taken by my office munshire. 



C. HORNE. 

 3, Bern^ud Villas, 



Upper Norwood. 



(To be continued.) 



