THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 133 



In experiment 11 of series 16, a fowl was bitten in the thigh 

 by a cobra. The part \^•as " immediately " excised (within 2 

 seconds)." A ligature applied before the bite was relaxed just 

 before excision. Death took place in 64 minutes. 



In experiment 3 of series 16. a dog was bitten by a cobra in a 

 fold of skin in the groin. The womid was entirelj- excised "at once", 

 but death took place in 60 minutes. 



In experiment 13 of series 15, a dog was bitten by a cobra in a 

 fold of skin in the groin. The part was " immediateljr " excised 

 (within 2 seconds). The animal succumbed in 2 hours and 35 

 minutes. 



It is to be observed that in 7 experiments in the cobra-bitten 

 fowls, all bitten in the thigh, the average duration of life was rather' 

 less than two minutes (116 seconds), so that it is clear that excision 

 performed under \'ery exceptional circumstances — so exceptional! 

 indeed that they could never be repeated in general practice — merely 

 prolonged life, did not save it. With reference to the experiments- 

 on dogs too it must be remarked that the skin of the groin was held 

 up with forceps, so that the injury sustained could only have impli-- 

 cated the skin, and too that such a proceeding offered every facility 

 for complete removal of the poisoned tissues, 3-et in spite of this, 

 death was not averted. 



Amputation'. 



In experiment 6 of series 1 6 a cat was bitten in the tail by a 

 cobra. Amputation was performed in 20 seconds, but sufficient poison 

 had been absorbed in this brief interval to give rise to profound 

 toxEemia, the breathing became hurried, and the dejecta sanguineous. 



In another experiment of Fayrer's a dog was bitten in the tail by 

 a full sized cobra, but in spite of the tail being amputated within a 

 few seconds the dog died. In a third case reported bj^ Eussell 

 (Indian serpents, p. 73) a cobra was made to bite a dog twice ( to 

 expend some of its venom ? ) after which it was made to bite a 

 pigeon in the thigh. The limb was amputated one minute later, 

 but the bird died. 



Trom these experiments one thing is ceiiain. In the case of 

 small animals at any rate, a lethal dose can be absorbed into th& 



