EXPERIMENTS UN THE INFLUENCE OF SNAKE-POISON 
89 
on the subject will not be realized. I am not the less anxious 
though to become acquainted with whatever may be of service 
in the treatment of snake-bites, whether prophylactic or thera¬ 
peutic, and I shall be as glad to record any facts that tend to 
throw light on the subject as to admit the potency of an antidote 
when I see it proved. Colonel Showers informed me that the 
Kelaree made the following objections to the experiment:— 
First, that he was not fully prepared. 
Secondly, that the antidote was not the most reliable one he 
knows of. 
Thirdly, that the animal was bit-ten three times by the Cobra. 
With reference to these, I would remark that the time for 
the experiment was appointed some days previously; that he 
was invited to make any previous preparation he thought 
desirable; that the room in which the experiments were per¬ 
formed was placed at his disposal, and that certain snakes were 
also made over to him; that he locked himself in for some 
time the day before making his preparations; and that Mr. 
Sceva was most careful to see that all he wanted was procured, 
and all his wishes carried out on the day of the experiment. 
The animal bitten was placed at his disposal to do what he 
liked with, and all his wishes were complied with to the 
minutest details. If therefore' anything were wanting, the 
fault was his own. 
Secondly, with reference to the antidote itself, it was sug¬ 
gested by himself, and he certainly expressed his belief that it 
would prove efficacious; or else why did he administer it ? 
As to the number of times the Dog was bitten by the Cobra, 
the snake was made to close its jaws in three places to insure 
the injection of the poison; the first bite at least being 
doubtful. 
I am quite satisfied that one bite, had it been fairly inflicted, 
would have been sufficient. Nor does the fact of there having 
been three punctures affect the question in this instance, for 
nothing occurred to show that the Dog was in any way in¬ 
fluenced by the so-called antidote. It succumbed with the 
same symptoms, and in about the same time, as other Dogs that 
had not taken any antidote at all, and were bitten in the same 
way by a Cobra. 
Experiment No. 2. 
At 12.13 a Kid of about three or four months old was bitten 
three times on the hind-leg by the same Cobra that bit the 
Dog in the previous experiments. 
The object was that in the event of the poison not taking 
effect in the Dog, the activity of the poison might be demon¬ 
strated by its action on the Kid. This, had the Dog survived 
and the Kid died, would have been so far confirmative of the 
efficacy of the antidote. 
12.15.—Leg weak; partially paralysed. 12.1G.—Bleating; 
staggers, but walks; lies down; defecation. 12.20.—Can 
stand, but the bitten limb is paralysed. 12.25. — Almost 
paralysed; convulsed. 12.29.—Convulsed. 12.34.—Heartbeats 
ninety-six per minute; respiration almost gone. Eyes glazed ; 
pupils dilated, insensible to light. 12.3G.—Death. Heartbeat 
for two minutes after respiration had ceased. Bitten at 12.13. 
Dead at 12.36. Death in twenty-three minutes. 
The activity of the poison had no doubt been exhausted by 
the previous biting of the Dog, otherwise a young animal like 
the Kid would have probably succumbed more rapidly. 
The following experiments were made to test the efficacy of 
the hypodermic injection of liquor ammonise as an antidote. 
Experiment No. 3. 
At 12.36 a Pigeon was injected in the thigh with Cobra 
poison recently taken from the living snake. Two drops were 
inserted into the muscles of the thigh with the hypodermic 
syringe. 12.37. —Is affected by the poison ; staggers ; is 
slightly convulsed and drowsy. 12.39.—Droops and falls 
over, but is able to walk when roused. Ten drops of liquor 
ammonise, diluted with three times the quantity of water, 
injected by means of the hypodermic syringe into the same 
thigh. 12.40. —Very drowsy; rests the point of the beak on 
the ground; legs stretched out with a convulsive quivering 
motion; head falls over. 12.40.30. — Gasping respiration. 
12.41.— Dead. 
Death occurred in four minutes—rather a long period for so 
small and sensitive a creature as the Pigeon; but the quantity 
of poison was small (two drops), and all that was not tho¬ 
roughly inserted. 
In this instance I do not believe that any beneficial effect 
was caused by the injection of the ammonia. 
Experiment No. 4. 
12.54.—A full-grown Pariah Dog had the femoral vein 
exposed, in order that the solution of ammonia might be 
readily injected with the hypodermic syringe; it was then 
bitten in the opposite thigh by a fresh full-grown Spectacled 
Cobra. 12.56.—Dog walks with staggering gait; the bitten 
limb is weakened. 12.57.—One drachm of liquor ammonise, thrice 
diluted with water, injected into the femoral vein. 1 p.m.— 
Limps on the bitten leg, and lies down. 1.3.—Leg drawn 
up ; slightly drowsy. 1.6.—Looks more drowsy; sits down. 
1.7.—Made him swallow two drachms of liquor ammonias, well 
diluted with six parts of water. 1.9.—Pupils dilated ; lies down 
exhausted. 1.12. — Lying flat on the left side. 1.15.— 
Staggers. When roused is not quite so drowsy ; refuses 
water; lies down, whining and moaning; stretches out the 
leg as though in pain. 1.24.—Pupils much dilated; froths 
at the mouth ; very weak in the hind-legs, but more so in the 
bitten than in the other limb; still moaning. 1.26.—Para¬ 
lysed completely in the posterior extremities; jerking move¬ 
ments of the head. Respirations, 44; pulse, 100. 1.29.— 
Respirations, 28 ; pulse irregular, fluttering, and difficult to 
count; convulsed ; is very restless ; convulsive movements of 
the diaphragm ; gasping ; spasm of diaphragm ; pupils dilated, 
insensible to light. 1.30.—Struggled and changed the position 
to the other side. Respirations, 12 in the minute; pulse very 
irregular ; cannot be counted from subsultus tendinum. 1.34.— 
Defecations. Heart beats 104 in the minute; fluttering 
irregular pulse ; respiration has ceased ; muscular twitchings. 
1.37.-—Eighty beats of heart in the minute ; muscular twitch¬ 
ing. 1.38.—Heart beats faint, slow but perceptible. 1.38.15.— 
Heart ceased to beat about four minutes after respiration ceased. 
Dead in forty-four minutes and fifteen seconds. 
Death was rather later in this case than usual in the case of 
a full-grown Pariah Dog bitten by a full grown and fresh 
Cobra. It appeared therefore that the ammonia may have 
been so far beneficial. The benefit, however, was very small; 
but suggested further experiments, with the remedy given 
in larger quantities and more frequently. 
TWELFTH SERIES. 
Experiments on the Influence of Snalce-poison, and on the Injection 
of Liquor Ammonice into the Venous Circulation as an Antidote. 
After completing the last series of experiments on the sub¬ 
ject of snake-poison, I received a communication from Pro¬ 
fessor Halford of Melbourne, whose researches have already 
thrown so much light on this interesting pathological question. 
In a paper of which he has kindly sent me a copy, read before 
the Medical Society of Victoria, he strongly advocates the 
injection of ammonia into the circulation; he also details 
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