EXPERIMENTS ON THE INFLUENCE OF SNAKE-POISON. 
101 
of the carbolic acid, for it followed the poison through the same 
channel, and in the shortest possible space of time, in which 
any local remedy could be applied, and yet without producing 
the slightest benefit. The second of time by which the poison 
preceded it, was sufficient to cause death; no remedy could 
have been applied more rapidly, unless it had been mixed with 
the poison and introduced with it; in which case the venom 
might have been probably decomposed and rendered inert. It 
appears to be impossible to overtake the poison, and neutralize 
it when once in circulation, however rapid may be the 
inoculation of the supposed antidote. 
Experiment No. 12. 
A Fowl was bitten in the thigh by a Daboia at 3.19 p.m. 
The carbolic acid was immediately applied to the wounds, 
which had been at once scarified. 3.19.30.—Fowl in convul¬ 
sions. 3.20.—Dead in one minute. Body opened. Blood in 
heart and great vessels had coagulated. 
Experiment No. 13. 
A sipall Dog bitten in the thigh, by a Bungarus fasciatus 
(one used last week) at 3.13 p.m. The bites drew blood. 
3.29.—Looks dejected. 6.20.—No further change. 
July 18tli, 7 a.m.— No change. At 12 noon the Dog 
appears very weak; has not altered his position (recumbent) 
since last report. 6 p.m. —The same ; refuses food; gradually 
drooped throughout the day. 
July 19th. — Died at 1.35 p.m., in about forty-six hours and 
twenty-seven minutes. Blood examined at 7.45 p.m. : blood 
clotted after death firmly; the serum paler than usual; cor¬ 
puscles natural; no crystallization. 
Experiment No. 14. 
A Fowl was bitten by another Bungarus fasciatus , which had 
also been used last week, at 3.32 p.m. 3.40. — The Fowl looks 
uneasy, but not otherwise affected. 
18th, 7 a.m.— Crouching on the floor; wings drooping. 
Noon.—Unable to stand; profuse flow of watery blood from 
the beak. 3 p.m. —Lying on its side : eyes closed. 5.40 p.m.— 
Died—in twenty-six hours and eighteen minutes. Body opened 
at 6 p.m. ; blood coagulated; under microscope no crystallization 
had occurred. 
Experiment No. 15. 
A Fowl was bitten by a Cobra in the thigh at 3.45.30. Ran 
about for a moment when placed on the ground. 3.46.— 
Crouched; resting its beak on the ground; fell over, and was 
dead at 3.47. Body opened at 5.10. Blood fluid, but coagulated 
on exposure to air. 
Experiment No. 16. 
A Daboia was well bitten by a Cobra near the tail, at 4.5 p.m. 
July 18th, noon. — No change. 6 p.m. —No change; no 
effect was produced. The Daboia was alive a week after being 
bitten. 
Experiment No. 17. 
A Varanusfavescens was bitten by another Daboia at 4.15 p.m. 
The Daboia had bitten before. He did not strike his fangs 
readily through the hard skin of the lizard. 
July 18th, 3 p.m.— No change. 6 p.m. —No change. 
The Varanus was not affected; it was alive a week after 
being bitten. 
The Daboia was not fresh ; and did not bite vigorously, 
hence the escape of the Varanus. 
Experiment No. 18. 
A Cobra was bitten by a Daboia, near the tail, at 4.3 p.m., 
and was bitten again by another Daboia, at 4.8 p.m., near the 
same place. 
July 18th, 5 p.m. —No change ; a week later — no change. 
Note.— The Bungarus fasciatus bitten by the Daboia, on 
Saturday, July 10th, was found recently dead on Saturday, 24th. 
Death may have been due to natural causes. The Bungarus 
fasciatus bitten at the same time by a Cobra is alive and well 
on July 24th. 
July 24 th, 1869. 
Present, Dr. Fayrer and Mr. Sceva. 
Experiment No. 19. 
In the experiments hitherto performed the snake has been 
made to close the jaws on the part bitten, and not been left to 
strike in the natural way. With the object of ascertaining 
whether there be any difference in the effect of the compulsory 
and voluntary bite, the following experiment was performed ; 
and I observed in this, as on other occasions, that the snake 
rather attempted to frighten than to bite the Dog, and it 
was not until the Cobra was much irritated by repeatedly 
bringing the Dog near him that he gave the fatal bite. It 
struck the Dog twice in the hind-leg, apparently without any 
effect, but afterwards struck, and for a moment fastened on to 
the thorax. Two slightly bleeding points marked where the 
Dog was bitten—this was at 3.32 p.m. 3.45. — The Dog is af¬ 
fected ; vomited an d was purged; very restless. 3.5 0.—Vomiting 
and staggering as he walks. 3.53.—Convulsed. 3.57.—Heart 
still beating irregularly; respiratory movements ceased. 3.58.— 
Dead—in twenty-six minutes. Another object of this experi¬ 
ment was again to search in the post-mortem blood for the cor¬ 
puscles described by Professor Halford. 
The body was opened at 5 p.m., or about an hour after death. 
The blood coagulated firmly, and was repeatedly examined under 
the microscope with a high power ; but 1 could detect no change 
whatever in its corpuscular elements. The lungs, as usual, were 
free from congestion. 
Experiment No. 20. 
Placed a ligature round a Fowl’s thigh, and tied it very 
tightly. The Fowl was then bitten by a Cobra, at 4 p.m., 
below the ligature. The ligature was tied as tightly as it 
could be drawn, and appeared to arrest the circulation com¬ 
pletely, for the part below it became livid, and the limb was 
paralysed. 4.13. — The Fowl lies quiet, and does not seem to 
be affected by the poison. 4.17. — Is active and lively; hops 
about on the sound leg. 4.20. — Does not seem to be in the 
least affected by the poison ; at this period, that is, fifteen 
minutes after the bite the ligature was removed. The limb 
was turgid and livid from congestion. The bird began to 
droop almost immediately the ligature was removed. 4.22.— 
Drooping; does not rise ; when raised crouches again. 4.23.— 
Head falling over; can hardly move. 4.24.—Convulsed. 
4.30.—Still alive; faint; convulsive movements continue. 
4.33. — Dead. Bitten at 4.5 p.m.; ligature removed at 4.20 ; 
no effect of poison being manifested. 
Dead at 4.33 — i.e., thirteen minutes after the ligature was 
removed. The poison was slow of entering with the stagnant 
blood of the congested limb, but it did enter and kill in thirteen 
minutes. 
Experiment No. 21. 
A Fowl was bitten in the leg by a Cobra, and a ligature 
tightened round the thigh immediately. This was at 4.10 p.m. 
4.12.—Runs about; limping on the bitten leg, which is 
almost paralysed by the ligature, and livid with congestion. 
4.17.—Slightly affected ; appears to droop a little. 4.27.—No 
apparent effect of the poison. 4.30. — Scarified the fang 
punctures deeply, and rubbed the carbolic acid well into the 
wounds until all the blood coagulated, and the scarified surfaces 
were whitened by the acid. 4.31.—Removed the ligature; 
the Fowl hops about, dragging the wounded limb, but not 
affected apparently by the poison. 4.35.—Poison now begin¬ 
ning to take effect; the Fowl, as it was running, staggered and 
fell forwards; it then crouched, and its respirations were very 
rapid. 4.40.—Cannot walk; when raised falls over again. 
4.42. — Head drooping; eyes closing; beak resting on the 
