88 
MISCELLANEOUS EXPERIMENTS, &c. 
it, drops the poison gently from the fang; owing perhaps to the position in which it is held during the operation; 
hut in the fresh dead subject, the poison is ejected through the fang to the distance of five or six inches, by the 
same pressure. 
XVI. -A Cobra de Capello which had been divested of his fangs, in order to qualify him for a show, 
was made to bite a roll of white paper; having first had his mouth well cleansed with a wet rag. The liquid 
emitted on the paper, had the usual appearance of poison ; but in doubt whether it might not be only saliva, I 
had the head cut off, and dissected the poisonous organs remaining. 
The sac, on both sides, had been completely destroyed, and there were no vestiges of subsidiary fangs. The 
poison glands and ducts were entire, and on pressing along the ducts, a fluid issued from their extremities, 
which, in colour as well as consistence, differed somewhat from common poison. It was thicker, and more 
opaque, had something of a milky hue, and was longer in drying. As the dissection was preformed in less 
than two hours after the head had been separated from the body, this variation was the more remarkable; for 
in former dissections, though several hours after death, the poison was found rather pellucid, and of a white 
or pale yellowish colour. 
It seems wonderful that bad accidents, from the mutilated serpents usually exhibited by the snakemen, are not 
oftener heard of. For supposing the sacs to be always as completely destroyed as in the present instance, 
yet the poison continues to issue into the mouth upon the jaws acting, and the holders, or common teeth, 
wound so as to draw blood. Nevertheless, chickens bitten by a mutilated snake showed no symptoms of 
poison, though they were afterwards infected, by having the poison inserted artificially which the same 
snake had emitted. * 
But it may reasonably be suspected that the sacs are not always so carefully destroyed. Several snakemen 
with whom I conversed, appeared to know nothing of any fangs besides the two on each side, generally 
emergent from the sacs, and they seemed surprised when shown a number of small subsidiary fangs at bottom. 
Where these have been left, they become in time, without being suspected, capable of doing mischief; which 
readily accounts for the accidents that certainly happen sometimes to the professed snakemen. 
I was told at Vizagapatam, of an old invalid who happened to be present at an exhibition of snakes, and ob¬ 
serving, among other feats, the snakeman thrust a large Cobra de Capello into his bosom, he asserted he could 
himself do the same, swearing, at the same time, that no snake could live an hour in his country, nor would 
the most venomous do any mischief to an Irishman. It was in vain that the spectators remonstrated and 
warned him; for resolutely putting the animal between his shirt and his skin, but ignorant of the acquired 
art of handling it, he was bitten severely in the breast. The consequence was excruciating pain, some alarm¬ 
ing symptoms of poison, and a local ulcer, which was a month in healing. 
XVII. -The head of a Katuka Rekula Poda, being severed from the body by one stroke, was dissected 
at the distance of an hour. The poison gland and other parts concerned were found as represented by Nicholls, 
in his description of the Viper. The gland when cut transversely had some resemblance to the epididymis, and 
poison oozed out from it, not less glutinous than what is commonly found in the sac. 
A small roundish gland, situated near the orbit, had no connection with the poison gland, and, when cut 
through, a thinner, serous fluid, bearing no resemblance to the poisonous liquor, oozed from it. 
XVIII.-In the Cobra de Capello, the poison gland was of an oblong round form; a texture more 
compact; and proportionally shorter. The poison was glutinous as in the other snake, but paler in colour. 
The gland near the orbit was wanting here. Several recent heads, which were examined, agreed in the 
circumstances now mentioned. 
* See Sect. II. Exp. XX. 
