OF INDIAN SERPENTS. 
55 
Experiment IX.-A second dog, but much stouter, was bitten also in the thigh. The snake at first 
seemed reluctant, but at length, seizing with his holders, he held fast for nearly a minute, and fetched blood. 
During this time, both fangs were a little protruded, though he did not, to me, appear to strike with them. 
This not being deemed sufficient, the snake, with some difficulty, was made to bite a second time. He 
now struck with one fang only, and held fast with his holders. The inner part of the thigh was intended to 
be bitten, but the acting fang struck the exterior part, where the skin was thickest. 
The dog hardly complained either time. The little blood oozing from the punctures, showed he was 
wounded; and some poison remained visible on the skin. 
No suspicious symptoms followed; nor was the leg, though the thigh had been twice bitten, contracted. 
He lay down sometimes, seemingly inclined to doze; and once I thought I could perceive a tremulous motion 
in the muscles of the thigh; but when rouzed, he walked about, and eat what was offered. After eight 
hours, he was quite well. 
Experiment X. January 3, 1788.--An Arege Nagoo, from which poison had been procured for in¬ 
sertion, the day before, was made to bite a stout dog in the thigh. “ In less than a minute, he showed evident 
“ symptoms of the venom having taken effect; he could not put the leg to the ground ; and, for more than 
“ two minutes, continued to moan, as if in pain. He remained, nevertheless, standing on his three legs, for 
“ a quarter of an hour ; when, growing more stupid and heavy, lie lay down : yet, when forced to rise, he 
“ walked about seemingly in good spirits, though obliged to trail the infected limb. He refused food and 
“ drink; and, when left to himself, immediately lay down. He died in about three hours.” 
For the account of the above experiment, I was obliged to my friend Mr. Briggs, who obligingly undertook 
it, in my absence on a botanizing excursion. 
Experiment XI. August. -A Cobra de Capello, which had lost his two longest fangs, but retained two 
of the second order, was made to bite a very large, stout, dog. At first the dog complained loudly, though 
the thigh neither was drawn up, nor, for a quarter of an hour, did any symptoms of poison appear. About 
this time, breaking loose, he was pursued ; and after a chase of an hour and a half, was brought back extremely 
heated and fatigued. 
After resting a quarter of an hour, water was offered him, but he would not drink, though he eat some 
morsels of bread thrown into the water. 
It was intended to have given him the Tanjore medicine; but, besides that I was in doubt of his being 
poisoned, the time of giving the medicine had elapsed. 
About a quarter of an hour after eating the bread, he grew sick, vomited, began to howl, and showed much 
inquietude. After ten minutes, he vomited a second time, and became extremely outrageous; struggled to get 
loose, snapped desperately at the stake to which he was tied, and howled incessantly. After the second vomiting, 
he lay down, and was much agitated about the belly and stomach: the muscles of the face were also convulsed. 
Being made to rise, he walked without any seeming impediment from the hind legs. 
At the end of the third hour, he still continued extremely ferocious, in so much that it became necessary to 
tie his legs. From this time, his howlings and stragglings grew gradually weaker, and the convulsive motions 
of his face increased; in which state he lingered about an hour longer, and then expired. 
Nearly the circumference of half a crown, was quite black, round the part bitten. 
Observations. -The symptoms of rage attending in this case, were in a degree beyond what I had ever 
observed before, or have observed since. The dog seemed quite furious, and gnawed the stick with incredible 
ferocity. 
Could this be accounted for from the agitation excited by the violent exercise of so long a chase, joined to the 
strong constitution of the dog? And may it be supposed, that the running retarded the mortal effectsof the poison ?*' 
That no usual symptoms of poison appeared at first in the wounded thigh; and that no other symptoms came 
on till after two hours, were remarkable circumstances. 
* See Transactions of a Society for the improvement of medical and chirurgic-.il knowledge. Lond. 1793. p. 310. 321. 
