OF INDIAN SERPENTS. 
57 
Experiment XX.——Chickens and pigeons bitten by a Cobra de Capello whose fangs had been eradicated, 
suffered no symptoms of poison ; but when poison taken from the same snake, was inserted into their bodies, by 
incision or puncture, they suffered the usual symptoms, and very often died. 
The above experiments have been selected from a number of others made on the Cobra de Capello, but of 
which a detail was judged unnecessary, the concomitant circumstances, as well as the result, being found exactly 
similar. 
SECTION III. 
Experiments on the Poison of the Kcituka Reliula Podci. JVo . VII. 
Experiment L October 17, 1787.-The snake had been caught only two or three days before, and 
seemed in high spirits. 
A chicken bitten in the pinion was instantly infected, seized with convulsions, and expired in thirty-eight 
seconds. 
Upon dissection, nothing remarkable was observed in the heart, nor other viscera. 
Experiment II.-Immediately after the chicken, a stout dog was bitten in the thigh. Within less than 
five minutes, he appeared stupified, the thigh was drawn up, and he frequently moved it, as if from pain. He 
remained, however, standing, and eat of some bread that was offered to him. He purged. In about ten minutes 
the thigh became paralytic. In fifteen minutes, he had entirely lost the use of the wounded thigh ; he lay down, 
howled in a dismal manner, and frequently licked the wounded part; making, at intervals, ineffectual attempts 
to rise. In nineteen minutes, after a short cessation, he again began to howl, moaned often, the breathing 
became laborious, and the jaws were convulsively shut. The few succeeding minutes were passed alternately in 
agony, and in stupor, In twenty-six minutes after the bite, he expired. 
After death, blood issued from his mouth and nose. The parts around the punctures, upon dividing the skin, 
were found much inflamed. 
Experiment III.-The third subject of experiment was a slender, weakly looking dog. He was bitten in 
the thigh, and howled loudly. It was intended to have made trial of the Tanjore remedy ; which was prevented 
by the dog breaking loose. After a quarter of an hour, he was brought back limping. In a few minutes more, 
the thigh appeared completely paralytic, and the dog lay along, dozing ; or when he attempted to rise, was 
unable to support himself. In thirty-six minutes, he seemed to be in the agonies of death ; but recovering a 
little, he sunk again into a doze. 
At the end of two hours he rose up, but was unable to stand, and howled as if from pain. The stupor return¬ 
ing, he grew gradually worse ; his jaws were locked, and in about half an hour he expired, without suffering 
convulsions : three hours and a half after the bite. 
Experiment IV.-The inner part of the fore thigh of a rabbit, being first divested of its fur, was bitten by 
the same snake. The thigh was immediately drawn up, but the animal made shift to walk a little, and seemed 
tolerably alert. In thirty-five minutes, he suffered convulsions, grew perceptibly worse, was unable to get up, 
and at intervals was seized with an universal tremor. He expired in less than one hour. 
This was properly the fifth experiment made this forenoon with the snake, for it had immediately before bit 
another rabbit, to which remedies were applied. (See Exp. II. Sect. VI.) 
Experiment V.-In order to see how far the strength of the venom was impaired, a chicken was bitten 
on the pinion. It remained seemingly well for two minutes, only nowand then fluttering the wounded wing. 
It then visibly drooped, lay down, soon was convulsed, and expired in somewhat less than six minutes. 
Experiment VI. October 18.-After a night's rest, the snake was made to bite a large, healthy, stout dog, 
on the thigh. The dog howled dismally at first, but appearing in no other respect affected than from pain, he 
was, after an interval of two hours, bitten a second time; yet still without effect. 
