EXPERIMENTS ON THE INFLUENCE OF SNAKE-POISON. 
on April 30th, on tlie inside of the thigh, from which the hair 
was first removed. Blood was drawn by the bites. 1.27.— 
Lies stretched out, and rigid from convulsion. 1.29.—General 
convulsions, and twitchings of muscles. 1.30.—Dead. 1.50._ 
Rigor mortis strongly marked. 
Experiment No. 4. 
A Ptyas mucosus (“ Dliamin ) was bitten freely in the mouth 
by a large Cobra, at 1.26. p.m. 1.45.—Quite unaffected. 1.58.:— 
Active as usual. 2.15 p.m.— Snake unaffected. 2.30.—Per¬ 
fectly well. 4 p.m. —Seems well. 23rd.—Apparently well. 
Experiment No. 5. 
A large “ Dharnin” was bitten three times on the body, and 
once between the open jaws, by a full-grown Cobra, of a light 
colour, between 12.57 and 1 p.m. 1.10 p.m. —Snake unaf¬ 
fected. 1-16.—-No change. 2.40.—Snake unaffected. 2.50.— 
Snake unaffected. The next day at noon he was perfectly well. 
April 30 th, 1868. 
Experiment No. 6. 
A Cat was bitten by the same Cobra that bit the Mongoose 
at 1.27 p.m. 1.30/—Cat uneasy; not paralysed. 1.33.— 
Restless; breathing hurried. 1.40.—Cat lying down; seems 
uneasy; muscular twitchings and hurried breathing. 1.55._ 
Active when roused. 2.30.—Appears rather distressed; has 
bitten its tongue, and lies with mouth, half open, and 
tongue protruded. 2.50.—Is now fully under the influence 
of the poison. Lies on one side; when placed on its feet, 
drops witli its belly on the ground, and then falls over on one 
side ; constant twitchings of the limbs, and frequent violent 
efforts made to rise, but quite m vam. Hearths action 
feeble, 108. 3 p.m. —Dead. The blood, examined twenty 
minutes after death, showed no perceptible change. 
Experiment No. 7. 
A Dog was bitten by a Bung arm fasciatus, about six feet 
long, on the inner side of the left thigh, at 1.27 p.m. 1.29._ 
Dog restless; licking the wound; respiration hurried, pro¬ 
bably from excitement. 1.35.—No apparent change; no 
paralysis as in case of Cobra bite. 1.50.—Seems rather weak in 
the hind leg, but otherwise quite well and playful. 2.50.—Dog 
seems well; lying down. The next day at noon the dog was 
quite well, and ate his food. He died a day or two later. 
Experiment No. 8. 
A Cat was bitten by a half-grown Bung ar us fasciatus in 
the thigh, from which the hair had been previously removed, 
at 1.48 p.m. 2.o0. This Cat from the first was slup'O’ish 
and apparently unwell, keeping its mouth open, and its 
tongue protruded. It had an abscess in one cheek. Within 
the last hour there has been little change; the animal is 
perhaps rather more sluggish. The noose round the neck 
being rather tight, was somewhat slackened, and at 3.40 p.m. 
the Cat was found to have escaped. 
May 1st.—The Cat found dead. 
Experiment No. 9. 
A Mongoose was bitten in the inner side of the thigh 
by a large Cobra at 1.44 p.m., and was put into a cage 
immediately at 1.48; apparently not affected. No para¬ 
lysis of leg ; very active in cage ; trying to get out. 2 p.m._ 
Mongoose eating vigorously some raw meat; seems quite unaf¬ 
fected. Was quite well next day. 
May 2nd, 1868. 
Experiment No. 10. 
A Cobra was bitten by a large Bungarusfasciatus at 2.12 p.m. 
69 
at a place where some of his scales had been first scraped off. 
2.30.—Seems quite well. 4 p.m. —Seems well. 
23rd.—Well. 
Experiment No. 11. 
A full-sized Cobra bit another full-sized Cobra in the mouth. 
They were made to close their jaws respectively in each other’s 
mouths at 1.38 p.m. Both Cobras were then put into a wire 
cage. They were fresh and vigorous. 1.42.—-Both snakes very 
active and angry in the cage. 2.50.—Both snakes unaffected, 
occasionally striking at each other. The next day at noon 
they were quite well. 
Experiment No. 12. 
A Mongoose and a full-sized Cobra were put into a large 
wire cage at 1 p.m. The snake struck at the Mongoose, and 
they grappled with each other frequently, and apparently the 
Mongoose must have been bitten, as the snake held on to it 
about the neck or head. At 1.15 p.m. there was no effect on 
the Mongoose ; both it and the snake were much excited and 
angry, the snake hissing violently. 2.30 p.m.— No effect on 
the Mongoose. The snake is bitten about the head, and shows 
the bleeding wounds. 1.51.—They are both occasionally 
darting at each other, but the Mongoose jumps over the snake, 
and tries to avoid it. Next day at noon both were well; the 
snake fiequently struck at the Mongoose, but did not appear 
to injure it; both seemed very savage, but the Mongoose would 
not bite the snake ; he jumped over it. 
There had been two Cobras in the cage with the Mongoose 
during the night, both equally fierce, and striking each other 
and the Mongoose; but the latter was not poisoned. He was 
scratched by the Cobras rather severely on the head. But on 
being bitten in the thigh by the same Cobra, when both 
were taken out of the cage the Mongoose succumbed to the 
poison, and died very rapidly. 
May 21th, 1868. 
Experiment No. 13. 
The following experiments were suggested by a letter addressed 
to the Editor of Engineering, March 20tli, 1868, by Mr. W. 
Clarke, C.E., who, relating his experiments on poisonous 
snakes in India, in 1854, mentions the extraordinary effect that 
creosote had in destroying them, and suggests its use, or that 
of analogous chemical compounds, in the treatment of snake¬ 
bites. The effect of an analogous chemical compound, carbolic 
acid, on the snake itself I have ascertained. The thera¬ 
peutic value remains to be determined, though, in anticipation, 
I expiess my doubt as to its being more beneficial than any¬ 
thing else, unless applied early enough to decompose the poison 
before absorption into the venous circulation; and this we 
could seldom hope to effect. I am quite satisfied that the 
application of carbolic acid, or perhaps even of coal tar, to the 
walls and timbers, and apertures by which the entry of snakes 
into a house could be effected, would have a most beneficial 
effect in keeping them at a distance. 
At 12.33 noon I put a few drops of carbolic acid into the 
mouth of a large and very vigorous Cobra, and it seemed to 
produce almost immediate effect. The snake struggled violently, 
opened and closed the mouth, went rapidly into a state of 
convulsion, as evinced by a series of spasmodic peristaltic waves 
of the whole length of the body. In less than five minutes it 
was evidently powerless for evil, and unable to strike or even 
move from the spot, but was frequently convulsed. The con¬ 
vulsed movements continued getting fainter, and did not entirely 
cease for twenty minutes, when it was quite dead. T his Cobra 
was over four feet six inches in length, and peculiarly active 
and vicious. 
T 
