60 
EXPERIMENTS ON THE POISONS 
on the right side was complete, both fangs having visibly acted; on the left side, it was much slighter, the 
snake biting less fiercely. 
In fifteen minutes, the right side of the nose appeared slightly swelled and discoloured, attended with a 
copious discharge from the nostrils. In twenty-five minutes, the swelling of the face, and about the throat, 
was increasing rapidly. Grass was offered; but the horse, being unable either to chew or to swallow, dropped 
it despondently from the mouth. 
In forty minutes, the under-lip became convulsed, and continued so till night. The eyes and nose run 
excessively. 
Through the second hour, the horse appeared more and more indisposed; the swelling continued to in¬ 
crease, especially that of the throat and under-lip; he still rejected food, but the breathing was not more 
affected than what seemed to be owing to the stoppage of the nostrils. At night, the swellings were still 
increasing. 
Next morning, the horse was found much in the same sta^e, still unable to eat or drink. The swellings, 
after an emollient fomentation, began to decline in the afternoon. At night, they were considerably dimi¬ 
nished, and he eat a little. 
The third day he continued mending ; and in two days more was very well. 
SECTION IV. 
Experiments on the Poison oj the Doclroo Pcim. J\ r o. IX. 
Experiment I. October 14, 1788.-He was first made to bite a chicken in the thigh, and both fangs 
acted visibly. The thigh almost instantaneously was drawn up, and the bird purged. In two minutes, it 
couched, and when put again on its legs, was found unable to stand. In five minutes, it was seized with 
convulsions, which increased in an uncommon degree, particularly in the head and neck. These ceasing in 
about two minutes, were succeeded by a stupor, in which the bird remained till its death, at the expiration 
of eight minutes. 
Observations. -The symptoms of poison became so suddenly visible here, that I expected the bird 
would have died much sooner. The skin above the part bitten being removed, a blackish line was found to 
extend about an inch towards the groin, from which, on cutting into it, some black blood issued. 
Experiment II.-A pig was bitten on the inside of the fore leg, without previously removing the hair. 
In seven minutes, she began visibly to droop, and, at the expiration of fifteen minutes, fell into a stupor, in 
which she continued to the end of the second hour; squeaking when roused, but unable to rise. In the 
course of the third hour, she seemed to grow worse, complained at intervals, but soon relapsed into stupor. 
In this state she remained nearly two hours more, when she appeared rather better, and soon after made 
shift to walk. At the end of six or seven hours, she was very well recovered. 
Experiment III.-Half an hour after the pig, a second chicken was bitten, and, like the first, showed 
immediate symptoms of poison. Within three minutes it couched; but being forced to rise, it stood fora 
little while as if stupified, without attempting to walk, and soon couched again. At the end of fifteen minutes, 
the stupor remained; the neck seemed a little contracted, without any other appearance of spasm. Half an 
hour after the bite, the bird suffered slight convulsions, and soon fell again into the stupor; and in two or 
three minutes more, expired quietly. 
Observation. -It is here remarkable, how slight the convulsions were, in comparison with the first case. 
Experiment IV. October 20.-Six days after the above experiments, the snake having been permitted 
to rest, a dog was bitten on the inside of the thigh. During the first ten minutes, no signs whatever appeared 
of poison; but at the end of sixteen minutes, the dog, wlip sat half couched, was seized with a trembling of 
