\ 



The Zoologist — November, 1869. 1895 



next selected, from a basket of fresh cobras, a full-grown one of the 

 spectacled variety, which was made to close its jaws three times in 

 the dog's hind leg, just at the fold of the skin of the thigh, and in the 

 thigh. The dog showed signs of pain when bitten, but had not 

 evinced the least fear of the snake when it was brought near him : it 

 was probably the first he had seen. The experiment was performed 

 in the usual place, and as follows : — 



Experiment, No. 1. — The antidote was given to the dog in apiece 

 of meat at 11.55 a.m. of the 16th of January, 1869; at 11.59 the dog 

 was bitten by a full-grown spectacled cobra of the variety known by 

 the natives of Bengal as the " Gokurrah." The snake was made, by 

 a snake-man occasionally employed by me, to close its jaws three 

 times at the fold of the skin in the right thigh, and in the right thigh 

 itself. We ascertained that the cobra had only one effective poison- 

 fang, the other being broken ; but with this he drew blood slightly. 



" Noon. Dog licks the punctures j bitten leg weak ; partially 

 paralyzed. 



" 12.1 P.M. Dog lies down ; shows indisposition to walk about. 



"12.3. No pain apparently felt; is drowsy; refuses to be roused, 

 and then walks about, but shows a tendency to lie down. 



"12.5. Looks sleepy; roused, he walks; but soon lies down 

 again. 



" 12.13. Breathing catching; is drowsy. 



" 12.17. Cannot walk without staggering; falls down when left 

 alone; breathing hurried. 



" 12.20. Convulsed. The kelaree now applied some oil to the 

 mouth and nostrils. 



" 12.21. Lies on the left side ; universally convulsed ; eyes glazed; 

 pupils dilated, and insensible to light. 



" 12.22. Defecates; is pale and bloodless about the mouth and 

 lips. 



" 12.23. Involuntary micturition. 



" 12.27. Respiration ceased. 



" 12.31. Dead. 



" Ceased to breathe three minutes before the heart ceased to beat. 



" Bitten at 11.59 ; died at 12.31 ; death in 32 minutes." 



The above notes were taken by Dr. Ewart, who carefully watched 

 and noted all the symptoms, and he adds the following remarks : — 

 " There is evidence that death takes place through the nerve centres, 

 the heart continuing to beat after the respiration entirely ceases. 



