Thk Zoologist— November, 1869. 188'J 



Snake-Poison, and reputed Antidotes for the same. 

 By Charles Horne, Esq., B.C.S., F.Z.S. 



(Continued from Zoo). S. S. 18.80). 



The importance of the subject may be gathered from the fact re- 

 corded in the last Oude Administration Report, that 1,127 persons 

 died from snake bites daring the past year; and again, in the Central 

 Provinces Administration Report, that 1,674 had died from the same 

 cause during the three preceding years. These figures, referring to 

 isolated districts of India, may afford some approximate idea of the 

 mortality arising from this cause throughout India, and all other 

 serpent-infested countries of the East.* 



Experiments.— \. A full-grown cock was given to the kelaree 

 (snake-man), who administered his antidote. The feathers having 

 been plucked from one thigh, and partially off the breast, the bird was 

 freely bitten more than once in our presence by a lively cobra over 

 four feet long. The cock showed no symptoms of distress of any kind, 

 and, after an hour, was let loose and ran about apparently uninjured : 

 he did not, at any time subsequently, exhibit any symptoms of 



distress. 



2. A rabbit would not have the antidote administered by the 

 kelaree, whose hand it bit severely in the attempt to do so. The 

 rabbit was then twice bitten by a cobra over four feet long, on each 

 occasion giving vent to a painful cry : it was then let loose, the poison 

 taking very rapid effect : the animal fell on one side, then sat up for a 

 few seconds, after which it tumbled over; showed great distress, 

 hurry and irregularity in its efforts to breath ; heart's action became 

 rapid, feeble and irregular ; the pupils of both eyes were violently 

 acted on by some foreign influence, ultimately became quite fixed, 

 and, in 3^ minutes from the time of being bitten, the rabbit gave a 

 convulsive shudder aud was dead. 



3. A full-grown pariah slut, seemingly in perfect health, was handed 

 over to the kelaree, who administered his antidote in a piece of meat, 

 which the slut swallowed in our presence at 8-39 A.M. She was then 

 bitten on the inner side of the left thigh by a fresh cobra over four 



* These figures musl be taken with great cauiion ; allhou-h undoubtedly many 

 lives are lost, a°s murders, especially of women, are often reU.rned as death from snake- 

 bite.— C. //. 



SECOND SERIES — VOL. lY. '^ ^ 



