﻿PERSONS BITTEN BY SNAKES* 32$ 



jaws, and a profuse discharge of saliva running from 

 her mouth. On being informed of the accident, T im- 

 mediately sent a servant with a bottle of the volatile 

 caustic alkali spirit, of which he poured about a tea- 

 spoonful, mixed with water, down her throat, and 

 applied some of it to the part bitten. The dose was re- 

 peated a few minutes after, when she was evidently 1 

 better, and in about half an hour was perfectly re- 

 covered. 



This accident happened in a small hut, where I saw* 

 the snake, which was a middle-sized Cobra de Ca- 

 pello. The Brahmens would not allow it to be killed. 

 Jn the above case, no other means whatever were used 

 for the recovery of the patient than are here recited. 



CASE. HI. 



A woman-servant in the family of a gentleman at 

 Benares, was bitten in the foot by a Cobra de Capello. 

 The gentleman immediately applied to me for some of 

 the volatile caustic alkali, which I fortunately had by 

 me. I gave her about sixty drops in water, and also' 

 applied some of it to the part bitten. In about seven 

 or eight minutes after, she was quite recovered. In 

 the above case, I was not witness to the deleterious ef- 

 fect of the poison on the patient ; but saw the snake 

 after it was killed. 



CASE IV. 



In July 1784, the wife of a servant of mine was 

 bitten by a Cobra de Capello on the out-side of the 

 little toe of her right foot. In a few minutes she be- 

 came convulsed, particularly about the jaws and: 

 throat, with a continued gnashing of the teeth. She 

 at first complained of a numbness extending from the 



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