104 
THE THANATOPHIDIA OP INDIA. 
Experiment No. 5. 
A Fowl was deeply bitten in the tliigh by a Daboia at 4.31. 
The snake had been in confinement for some time, but it was 
vigorous and vicious, and plunged its fangs deeply into the 
bird’s thigh, drawing blood. 4.36.—Not affected. 5 p.m. 
Not affected. No symptoms of poisoning occurred, and the 
Eowl was alive and well on August 2nd. 
This experiment is a most instructive one, and proves that a 
poisonous snake may bite without poisoning. It is not in the 
least probable that this Daboia was altogether exhausted, for 
although in captivity, it had been at rest for many days, and 
had not exhausted its poison by biting; another Daboia that 
had been six months in captivity, and had eaten nothing 
during that period, killed a Eowl rapidly by one bite. It fur¬ 
nishes an explanation of some of the so-called recoveries from 
snake-bite, in which, when the snake has been seen and the 
punctures of its fangs are visible, the patient recovers from the 
mental alarm and prostration after the administration of one 
of the supposed antidotes. That such alarm does cause tem¬ 
porary, physical as well as mental, prostration I have had pioof 
in the following case. Some time ago, on visiting the hospital 
one morning, I was told that a man had been admitted during 
the night suffering from a snake bite, and that he was very low. 
I found him in a state of great prostration, he was hardly able 
to speak, and seemed to be in a state of great depression. He 
and his friends said that during the night in going into his hut 
a snake bit him in the foot; that he was much alarmed, 
and rapidly passed into a state of insensibility, when they 
brought him to the hospital. They and he considered that he 
was dying, and evidently regarded his condition as hopeless. 
He was in fact in that condition not unfrequently described, 
from which the sufferer has been snatched by the timely 
administration of an antidote. On asking for a description of 
the snake, they said they had caught it and brought it with 
them in a bottle. The bottle was produced, and the snake 
turned out to be a small innocent lycodon. It was alive, 
though somewhat injured by the treatment it had received. 
On explaining to the man and his friends that it was harmless, 
and with some difficulty making them believe it, the symptoms 
of poisoning rapidly disappeared, and he left the hospital as 
well as ever he was in his life in a few hours. Had no snake 
been found, and had an antidote been given, who would have 
been prepared to dispute its efficacy ? I am sorry to destroy 
popular and favourite illusions when they are harmless, but in 
a matter of this kind, it is well that the truth should be known. 
Experiment No. 6. 
A Fowl was bitten by a Daboia in the thigh at 4.49 p.m. 
The snake has been over six months in captivity, during which 
time it has steadily refused to take food or water. It was 
active, vigorous, and vicious; it plunged its fangs deeply into 
the Fowl’s thigh and drew blood. In twenty seconds the bird 
was violently convulsed; in sixty more seconds it was dead. 
Contrast this experiment with the preceding one, and I 
think it confirms what I said as to the occasional uncertainty 
of a snake-bite. These two Daboias were both old, that is to 
say, old in captivity. They were both notwithstanding 
vigorous, and bit fiercely. In one case no evil resulted from 
the bite ; in the other rapid death. 
The blood of the Fowl was examined after death. Dark 
coloured coagulated blood was found in one of the great vessels 
near the heart. In others and in the cavities of the heart it 
was fluid, and remained so after death. 
It is worthy of notice that in the Mammals poisoned by the 
Daboia, the blood was found to be fluid, and to continue so 
after death. In birds it was sometimes coagulated. Could 
this be due to the rapidity with which life was extinguished in 
the bird ? 
August 1th, 1869. 
Present, Dr. Fayrer, Dr. W. Palmer, Professor of Chemistry, 
and Mr. Sceva. 
Experiment No. 7. 
A Pariah Dog was bitten by a Cobra (“ Tentuliah ICeautiah” 
of the snake-men) in the liind-leg at 3.5 p.m. At 3.8 p.m. 
thirty drops of liquor ammonia!, sp. gr. ’959, diluted with three 
parts of water, were administered. 3.12.—Dog lying down, 
licking the wound; when walked about, limped on the bitten 
leg; breathing hurried. 3.15.—Thirty more drops given as 
before. 3.22.—Dying down ; limbs twitching. 3.23.—Thirty 
more drops given. 3.24.—Convulsed; lying down; unable to 
rise. 3.25.—Dying; limbs convulsed; pupils widely dilated; 
tapetum, lucidum very brilliant. Heart still beating, no respira¬ 
tory movements. 3.26.—Pupils contracted again (this is a 
phenomenon I have not before observed). 3.28.—Another 
thirty drops of liquor ammonise administered. 3.29.—Heart 
still beating irregularly. 3.30.-—Dead — in twenty-five 
minutes. 
Ammonia has long been considered one of the most potent 
of all remedies in snake-bites. The object of this experiment 
was to test its value. The result is not encouraging. 
Experiment No. 8. 
Mr. P.’s “ antidote” was again put to the test. The powder 
was rubbed into a pulp mixed with water in the proportion 
directed ; it was then administered to a Dog at 3.31 p.m. The 
Dog was then bitten by a Cobra in the thigh. 3.35.—The 
Dog is affected by the poison, looks scared, and limps in the 
bitten limb. 3.37.—Staggers, lies down; breathing hurried. 
3.39.—Another dose administered. 3.43.—Limbs convulsed. 
3.45.—Paralysed; heart beating irregularly. 3.59.—Heart 
still beats; no respiratory movements. 4 p.m. — Dead—in 
twenty-eight minutes. 
I am afraid the antidote must be regarded as inapplicable to 
the canine race. 
Experiment No. 9. 
Jugular vein of a Pariah Dog exposed at 3.42, and a diluted 
solution of liquor ammonias, sp. gr. '959—one part to water two 
parts—to the extent of thirty drops, injected. No apparent 
inconvenience caused to the Dog by the injection. At 3.43 the 
Dog was bitten in the thigh by a Cobra. 3.48.-—Dog showing 
signs of the poison ; thirty more drops, diluted in the same 
way with six of water, again injected into the jugular vein. 
Shortly after this the Dog began to turn round and round in 
the most restless manner; thirty more drops injected similarly 
diluted into the other external jugular, as a large thrombus had 
formed in that part exposed. 4.10.—Dog convulsed. 4.12.—- 
Cannot stand, limbs paralysed. 4.13.—Violently convulsed all 
over. 4.20.—Dead—in thirty-seven minutes. 
The Cobra was not fresh in this case, and yet it killed in 
thirty-seven minutes. The injection of the diluted ammonia 
was not more satisfactory than that of the undiluted, as far as 
its immediate antidotal effects were concerned; but it would 
appear that the injection of diluted liquor ammonias into the 
jugular vein is not followed necessarily by convulsions, or other 
violent constitutional disturbance. 
Experiment No. 10. 
Some of the blood of the Dog killed by the Cobra in Experi¬ 
ment No. 7, where the ammonia was given, was removed from 
the body about three-quarters of an hour after death. It was 
found to be firmly coagulated, but some of the serum and part 
of the clot mixed with water, to the extent altogether of forty 
drops, were injected with the hypodermic syringe into a Fowl’s 
thigh; the actual quantity of blood thus used could not have 
been more than a few drops. The injection was made at 
4.20 p.m. 4.35.—Slightly affected by the poison. 5 p.m. — 
