AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
127 
form of a hood or cloak, from whence it derives its name; 
when, opening its mouth, and exhibiting its poisonous 
fangs, it springs on its enemy with the greatest agility and 
effect. Its bites, we have already stated, have a most 
deadly tendency, which has been fully illustrated by Mr. 
Boag, in the New Annual Register for 1800; though, 
from the causes we have noticed, instances are not want- 
ing of persons recovering from them without the aid of 
any remedy. 
The greatest enemy to this serpent is the ichneumon, 
or mangoose weasel, which feeds upon snakes and other 
reptiles. When the ichneumon falls in with the Cobra 
de Capello, the former takes every opportunity of pro- 
voking the first attack; placing himself in an attitude the 
most favourable to slip on one side and seize the head of 
his antagonist, which most frequently produces instant 
death. But if it fail, he bites the animal’s tail to make 
him rise again, when the second seizure generally proves 
successful. If bitten by the serpent, the weasel sucks the 
poison from the wound; and feeds upon an herb which, in 
India, is considered to be an antidote, and thus escapes 
altogether the mortal effects which other animals uni- 
formly experience from the bite of this very formidable 
serpent. 
The poison both of the Rattlesnake and of the Cobra de 
Capello, is collected and preserved by the untutored In- 
dians for the purpose of arming their arrows; and the con- 
sequences of the wounds they inflict, from an instrument 
so destructive, may be easily anticipated. The food of 
these snakes is confined to birds, and to small animals. 
There are many other poisonous serpents of a very dan- 
gerous character to be met with in America, in Africa, 
and in the East and West Indies; but as the two we have 
noticed may be considered the most formidable, we have 
thought it sufficient to confine our observations to them; 
more particularly as the symptoms which follow the bites 
of all such venomous animals, appear to be much the same, 
differing only in degree and consequences. 
Pain, swelling, discoloration of the parts affected, an 
extension of these symptoms to those parts through which 
the poison has to pass on its way to the system, and an 
enlargement and discoloration of the whole body; a small 
quick pulse, fainting fits, vomiting, jaundice, delirium, 
hiccup, and convulsions, close the scene, and mark the 
fatal issue in those cases where speedy relief has not been 
obtained, or where the natural resources of the constitution 
are not sufficient to resist the morbid effects of the poison. 
With respect to the treatment of these most formidable 
symptoms, when produced by the bite of the Rattlesnake, 
the Cobra de Capello, and of other foreign serpents, with- 
out experience, we can have little to offer but conjecture. 
We are told of a variety of remedies, however, that are 
used in countries where these animals prevail; but these 
are so opposite in their nature and tendency, that we 
hardly know how to attach importance to their efficacy. 
The serpentarii, or Virginian snake root, and the seneka, 
or Rattlesnake root, are each used topically in the form 
of poultices, and given internally, and have had the 
reputation, in America, of curing the bite of the Rat- 
tlesnake and of other American serpents. And the head 
of the animal bruised and laid upon the part affected, as 
well as the topical application of a paste prepared by the 
Indians, to which they have given the appellation of snake- 
stone, are also reputed specifics in such cases; but we fear 
the efficacy of each is entitled to but little credit. If ap- 
plications can be of any avail in casualties so desperate, 
assiduous frictions of unctuous substances, but particularly 
of olive oil, or of equal parts of laudanum and volatile 
alkali, over the parts affected, and full doses of carbonate 
of ammonia conjoined with antispasmodics administered 
internally and frequently repeated, from their uniform 
success in the bite of the viper, appear to be well calcu- 
lated to produce good effects, and are therefore well wor- 
thy of trial. 
Dr. Orfila, a French author, who has published a valua- 
ble treatise on poisons, has recommended the application 
of a ligature above the wounded part, so as to check the 
returning blood to the heart, without stopping the circu- 
lation; and then to apply caustics, so as to destroy deeply 
the whole of the surrounding parts. His internal reme- 
dies are volatile alkali, wine, and active diaphoretics. 
In the second volume of the Medico-Chirurgical Trans- 
actions, Mr. Ireland, then surgeon to the 60th regiment, 
has given an account of four cases, in which arsenic had 
been successfully administered internally for some very 
desperate bites from the Coluber Carinatus, a most veno- 
mous serpent, peculiar to the island of St. Lucia, in the 
West Indies; and from whose bites, an officer and seve- 
ral men belonging to the 6Sth regiment, had some months 
before fallen a sacrifice. 
In the four successful cases to which he has alluded, from 
the flesh being much torn by the bites, he removed the 
rugged edges of the integuments, and administered two 
drachms of Fowler’s solution, (which is equal to one grain 
of arsenic,) in a draught composed of pepjDermint water 
and ten drops of laudanum; to which, when taken, half an 
ounce of lime juice was added, to produce the efferves- 
cent effect; and this was repeated every half hour for four 
successive hours; the parts being frequently fomented and 
rubbed with a liniment, composed of half an ounce of oil 
of turpentine, and an ounce and a half of olive oil. In a 
few days, the patients recovered, and returned to their 
