EXPERIMENTS. 
FIRST SERIES. 
Experiments on the Action of the Poison of the Cobra on Warm- 
and Cold-blooded Animals. 
The effects of snake-bite, the modus operandi of the virus, and 
of its reputed antidotes, have recently attracted so much atten¬ 
tion, that I determined to make some experiments for the 
purpose of ascertaining 1 how far observations confirm or refute 
what has been said on the subject. 
A very thoughtful and suggestive paper in the British 
Medical Journal of July 20th, 1867, communicated by Professor 
Halfoid of Melbourne, rendered the investigation more inte¬ 
resting, as it seemed to indicate the nature of the pathological 
changes induced in the blood by the poison, and to point out a 
new direction in which to study them, as well as to suggest a 
lational antidote. It will be seen that the following experiments, 
so fai as they go, scarcely confirm Dr. Halford’s views. 
But, even admitting the probability of Dr. Halford’s theory of 
the cause of death, I am inclined to think that it can only be of 
partial application. It is peculiarly applicable to those cases in 
which, owing to a smaller quantity, or a less potent quality, of 
the poison having been injected, death takes place slowly, and 
time is allowed for blood changes to occur. But it can hardly 
be said to explain the cause of death in those cases where death 
occurs within a few minutes after the animal is bitten by a 
powerful snake, and where the fatal event results almost imme¬ 
diately, as if by a shock to the nervous centres. 
The antidote experimented with (Experiment No. 1), is one 
to which much importance is attached by many in this country 
—the Aristolochia indica. But I regret to say that, in the 
case in which we tried it, the result was a perfect failure; 
indeed, as I have before said, I doubt very much whether any 
remedy exists which is capable of counteracting the deadly 
effects of the bite of a full-grown Cobra, though it is possible 
that, in the case of a large animal bitten by a small or ex¬ 
hausted snake, remedies might conduce to recovery. 
The experiments here recorded were made with three full- 
grown Cobras recently caught, and the poison was inserted, 
either by closing the snake’s jaws on the part of the animal 
bitten, or by inoculating the poison with an instrument at 
various periods after its removal from the poison gland. The 
mode of procuring the poison is very simple ; it is obtained by 
making the Cobra bite through a thin leaf stretched across a 
mussel shell; the poison, like limpid syrup, runs in considerable 
quantities down the grooved tooth into the shell, where it is 
collected, and may be preserved for experiment. From a full- 
grown Cobra half a drachm may be collected in a very short 
time. Much care is necessary in handling the reptile, and this 
is done with the greatest dexterity by the professional snake- 
catchers, who take up a living and vicious Cobra without the 
slightest difficulty, and either make it shed its poison in the 
way I have mentioned, or render it harmless for the time by 
removing its poison fangs. The Cobra, though very powerful 
and active, is apparently sluggish until roused, and its muscular 
power does not enable it to twist sufficiently to turn on any one 
who is bold enough to seize it by the tail, hold it at arm’s 
length, and keep its head from darting at the legs by pressing 
it down with a stick held in the other hand. Such is the way 
in which the snake-catchers manage them. 
In the present instance, there were three full-grown fierce 
Cobras confined in a small box. Raising the lid carefully, the 
snake-catcher put in the end of the stick and lifted out one 
about four feet long, hissing, and with its hood erect, looking 
the very incarnation of mischief. He then gently dropped the 
snake on the ground ; and, as soon as it began to move off, 
seized it by the tail, raised it off the ground, and placed the 
stick, holding it at arm’s length, about midway under its body. 
He then allowed it to struggle, and make efforts to dart at him 
over the stick, on which it hung in a festoon, keeping up an 
oscillating motion with his knee, which seemed to influence 
the reptile’s movements, as it kept time, moving its head at 
about the same rate as tire man moved his knee. He then 
placed it on the ground, dragging it gently by the tail; and 
watching his opportunity, placed the stick on the snake’s back 
just behind the head, and so pressed it to the ground. Holding 
the tail under his naked foot, he quietly seized the snake 
behind the head, and squeezing it, made it open its jaws, when 
the poison fangs could be distinctly seen; in this way the snake 
was made to bite the animals experimented on, or the leaf, when 
the poison was collected in a shell. The experiments were 
made by myself, Dr. J. Anderson, Curator of the Indian 
Museum, and Dr. J. A. Purefoy Colies, Professor of Physiology 
in the Medical College. Some of them were conducted in the 
compound of the Asiatic Society, and others in the Museum of 
the Medical College. 
Oct 2\st, 1867. 
Experiment No. 1. 
A full-grown Pariah Dog was bitten by a large Cobra at 
12.36. p.m. Just before he was bitten five large leaves of the 
Aristolochia indica, beaten into a pulp, were administered 
to him through a tube. The snake was made to close its 
jaws on the inner part of the thigh, which was at once 
drawn up and became partially paralysed. The Aristolochia 
leaves, made into a pulp, were applied to, and rubbed into, 
the bites. 
At 12.41 the Dog began to stagger, and at 12.42 he lay down. 
The respiration became much hurried. He got up and lay 
down again, and was intensely restless. There was a profuse 
flow of saliva, and slight twitching of posterior extremities. 
12.47.—Salivation very profuse. 12.50.—Vomited some rice 
tinged green by the Aristolochia. 12.56.—Convulsions; pupils 
dilated. Involuntary discharge of faeces and urine. Profuse 
salivation continues. Irregular contraction of limbs. 12.58.— 
Breathing now becoming slow, and slightly stertorous. Lies 
motionless, with dilated pupil and glassy eye. 1.2 p.m. —Died 
in twenty-six minutes after being bitten. 
Autopsy. —Blood taken from the femoral vein just at death 
coagulated firmly in about five minutes. The chest was opened 
about four minutes after death. All the cavities of the heart 
were empty, except that the walls of the right ventricle were 
smeared with tarry looking blood. There was feeble contracti¬ 
lity of the auricles when first exposed, but this had ceased 
within five minutes after death. The lungs were not congested. 
The blood in the great vessels coagulated firmly during the ex¬ 
amination. The superficial vessels of the brain were slightly 
congested, but there was no congestion of the deeper parts of 
the brain. 
The areolar tissue about the bite was dark-coloured, and 
infiltrated with blackened blood. 
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