THE POISON OF VENOMOUS SERPENTS. 
69 
Experiment VI. May 12, 1788.-In a dog bitten twice on the thigh by a Katuka Rekula Poda, the leg 
was immediately drawn up ; he urined, and, after a stool, lay down. After four minutes, being forced to rise, 
he staggered a few paces, and then slid down, as if paralytic in all his limbs. 
The rapid progress of the symptoms, left little hope of benefit from any internal remedy; however, he was 
taken up as soon as possible, and his contracted jaws being with difficulty opened, one pill, mixed with water, 
was forced into the stomach, in about five minutes after the bite. There was no discharge of saliva; but, in 
about fifty minutes after swallowing the pill, he had a bilious stool. 
At the end of the first hour, he sometimes raised his head, but his jaws were close shut; he refused water, 
and was unable to stand. In a quarter of an hour more, half a second pill was forced down his throat. 
He remained in this state for another hour, and then expired, without convulsions. The thigh was livid, and 
much swelled. 
Observations. -A discharge by urine or stool, immediately after the bite, denotes, in general, that 
the poison has taken effect. So early a contraction of the jaw is not common. 
Experiment YU. May 18.-A dog was bitten, as in the last experiment, by another snake of the same 
species. The leg, in like manner, was instantly drawn up; and in two minutes, the other hind leg also became 
paralytic: the dog urined, had a stool, and then laid himself along. At the end of six minutes, the jaws not 
being contracted, one pill was given with ease. There was no discharge of saliva ; but the same kind of move¬ 
ment was remarked at the mouth of the stomach, as in Exp. IV. 
Ten minutes after the medicine was given, the dog howled and moaned dreadfully, made several ineffectual 
attempts to rise, but being deprived of the use of the hind legs, he could not stand when helped up. For half 
an hour he continued alternately quiet and restless, and then took a second pill, which occasioned more commo¬ 
tion of the stomach than the first, though neither vomiting nor purging. 1 he next half hour was chiefly passed 
in dozing, he howled less, suffered no convulsions ; and expired in one hour and ten minutes after the bite. 
Observations. -FI ere again the progress of the poison was extremely rapid, and the most dangerous 
symptoms had made their appearance before the medicine was given. 
It should be also remarked, that the snakes employed in the last two experiments, had been captives two 
months and ten days, during which time, each had only swallowed four eggs, and had absolutely eat nothing for 
the preceding forty days. 
Experiment VIII. October 30.-To a dog bitten twice in the thigh by a Cobra de Capello, a pill and 
a half was given within two minutes after. No symptoms were observed of the poison having taken effect. 
The effects, however, of the medicine were very visible, viz. the rising at the stomach, labouring of the flanks, 
and sickness. 
After twenty-two minutes, the movement of the flanks diminished, the dog vomited, and attempted a stool. 
In the next half hour, he vomited twice, and purged once. The leg was never drawn up ; he sometimes lay 
down, but could walk about; and, in the evening was very well. 
Experiment IX. November 2 6. -Half a pill, pounded and mixed with crumb of bread, was given to a 
chicken, and washed down with a little water. Ten minutes after, a Cobra de Capello was made to bite her on 
the thigh, which was drawn up, as usual, when infected. In five minutes she purged, drooped, and couched. In 
five minutes more, the head was convulsively drawn towards the breast, and she sometimes rested her beak on 
the ground. In thirty minutes, after several loose stools, the bird lay down on one side, convulsions succeeded, 
and she died : forty-five minutes after the medicine. 
Observations. -The loose stools were the effect of the medicine ; for symptomatic stools, where no 
medicine has been given, are in general consistent, not loose. 
Experiment X.-The same dose was given to a second chicken ; it continued, for three or four minutes, 
to pick up crumbs as before, after which it seemed to loath them. In ten minutes after the medicine, it was 
bitten by the same snake ; in fifteen minutes, couched, and had one or two loose stools ; at the end of twenty- 
five minutes, it still remained couched, the head reclined ; and. in ten minutes more, the leg and thigh trembled 
