EXPERIMENTS ON THE INFLUENCE OF SNAKE-POISON. 
81 
Lying down, resting its beak on the ground; very drowsy 
and sluggish. 2.2.—Cannot be roused. Died shortly after, 
at 3.10 p.m. 
Experiment No. 11. 
A Fowl bitten in the thigh at 12.36 by the Baboia that had 
bitten the Cobra. It walked abont immediately after with 
slight muscular twitching. 12.36.45. — Standing with the 
lame leg drawn up. 12.40.—Pecking at food. Walks, but 
staggers slightly. 12.41.—Bitten again in the thigh by the 
same snake, which is evidently much exhausted. 12.43.—No 
very apparent effect. 12.43.33.—Fell over in convulsions. 
12.44.15.—Dead. 
This experiment shows that the snake was much exhausted 
by previous biting. 
Experimemt No. 12. 
A Fowl was placed near a fresh Bciboia* free on the ground. 
I he snake, on being irritated, struck the Fowl somewhere about 
the neck at 22.49. It fell into convulsions immediately, and 
was dead at 12.49.45, that is, it was completely dead in forty- 
five seconds. 
This experiment shows the terribly deadly nature of the 
Baboia s poison. 
Experiment No. 13. 
A Cobra was injected at 1 p.m. with fifteen drops of his own 
poison; the syringe was inserted about eight inches from the 
head. Ten minutes after there was no effect. At 5 p.m. the 
snake was still unaffected. 
September 27th, 10 a.m. —No effect. 
September 30tli, noon.—No effect. 
This experiment seems to show that the Cobra is not poisoned 
by his own venom. 
October 2nd.—Seems sluggish, but after so long an interval 
it may be from other causes. 
Experiment No. 14. 
Five drops of Cobra poison, diluted with about ten drops of 
water, were injected with the hypodermic syringe into the inner 
side of a Cat’s thigh at 1.7.45 p.m. At 1.12 restless; muscular 
twitchings ; mewing loudly. 1.13. — Partially paralysed; 
dragging the punctured leg; breathing very much hurried. 
As the Cat crouches on the ground the liind-quarters fall over 
as though paralysed. 1.14.—Tries to walk; drags the hind¬ 
leg. 1.56.—Sluggish; ajiparently in no pain; does not move, 
even when roused. 
\Mr. Sceva reports after thisi] 
2.20.—Lying on its side, with hind-leg extended; profuse 
flow of saliva from the mouth and symptoms of nausea. Fre¬ 
quent evacuation of thin ftecal matter. 2.30.—Raised the head 
and fore part of the body; dragging the hind limbs for a short 
distance on the floor. 3.—Attempted to get up again, but was 
unable to do so. 3.5.—Died, slightly convulsed. The blood 
coagulated firmly after death. It was examined by Professor 
Partridge and myself, and no change from the normal structure 
could be made out. The corpuscles, red and white, were un¬ 
changed, excepting that some of the red ones were shrivelled. 
The quantity of poison used was only five drops, and that was 
mixed with water. It was injected at 1.7.45 p.m. ; the Cat died 
at 3.5 p.m., rather less than two hours. 
It is evident from this that the poison does not suffer by 
mixture with water. 
* As I have said in the former part of this work (p. 15) the Dahoici is naturally 
very sluggish, and not aggressive, unless irritated, when it strikes with great rapidity 
and deadly precision. 
Mr. W. Blandford tells me of an instance wliere a Dciboia was carried liome by a 
gentleman who thought he had got a young Python. It did him no injury, and 
he only became aware of the danger he had escaped by the snake striking at and 
killing a dog that approached too near it. 
Experiment No. 15. 
A large Cobra was injected at 1.33 p.m. with five drops of 
the solution of strychnia (one grain to a drachm), near the 
head. It was convulsed and powerless at 1.36. At 1.40 
muscular tetanic twitchings. 1.42.—Dead. 
This experiment shows that a poison is rapidly effective in 
the snake when inoculated into the circulation. 
Experiment No. 16. 
A Cobra was injected with about fifteen drops of the poison 
of another fresh and vigorous Cobra at 1.43 p.m. The poison 
was carefully injected with the hypodermic syringe about eight 
inches from the head. The Cobra inoculated was of the pale, 
yellowish-coloured variety, with a single ocellus on the hood. 
It was very active and vicious, the most so of any I have 
seen. It was sent to me a short time ago by the police 
authorities; having been captured after biting a native lad 
in a boat, who died, it is said, within an hour after being 
bitten. At 2.2 p.m. and 5 p.m. not affected; as vicious and 
active as ever. 
At 10 a.m. of September 27th still unaffected. 
September 30th, noon.—Still unaffected. 
October 2nd.—Still quite well. 
September 28 th. 
Experiment No. 17. 
Present, Dr. Fayrer and Mr. Sceva. 
At 1.17 p.m. a Fowl, half-grown, was bitten in the thigh 
by a Baboia; convulsed immediately, and dead in thirty-five 
seconds. 
Experiment No. 18. 
Blood drawn from the heart of the Fowl in Experiment 
No. 17 (two hypodermic syringefuls), about a drachm, was in¬ 
jected into the thigh of another half-grown Fowl at 1.22 p.m. 
7.15.—No effect of the poison perceptible as yet. 
September 29th, 6 a.m. —Crouching; profoundly drowsy. 
Head resting on beak; falls over as if the bird had gone off 
into a sound sleep; starts up and falls over again, like a 
creature that cannot keep awake. In this state it remained, 
got more drowsy, and died at 2.40 p.m. 
September 29 th. 
Experiment No. 19. 
At 2.50 p.m. a half-grown Chicken was injected in the thigh 
with ten drops of the blood of the Chicken of Experiment 
No. 18. 
September 30th, 2 p.m. —Appears to be slightly affected; 
feathers ruffled; tail depressed ; not so active as it was. 
October 2nd.—It recovered, having been only very slightly 
affected. 
September 28 th. 
Experiment No. 20. 
A half-grown Fowl was bitten in the thigh at 12.15 a.m. by 
a very vicious and active Cobra (one that had killed a child, and 
was itself the subject of experiment on the 26th). The Fowl 
became convulsed immediately, and was quite dead in about 
thirty-four seconds. The muscles generally and heart were 
found to be without any irritability in a few minutes after death. 
The blood coagulated firmly. 
Experiment No. 21. 
Two syringefuls of the blood of the Fowl in Experi¬ 
ment No. 20 were injected into the thigh of a full-grown 
and strong Fowl at 12.25 a.m. 12.27.—It seemed much 
excited; this passed off, and at 1.26 p.m. it seemed very 
little affected, except that it was purged. 2 p.m.— Appears 
Y 
