108 
THE THANATOPITIDIA OE INDIA. 
Cat and the other Fowl. The cases in which excision was 
practised all proved ultimately fatal, though death was delayed. 
Why is this ? The reason, I believe, is that when excision 
only is practised, although it may extend beyond the limits of 
the Cobra bite, yet it does not remove so much of the poison as 
has already been diffused throughout the tissues. 
The inference from this seems to me very clear, that in case 
of a bite in the finger or toe in a human being, amputation, if 
performed without delay, would offer the best chance of life. 
It is a terrible alternative; but as it is perhaps the only chance 
of saving life it should be done. 
All the snake-men that I have seen admit that they have 
little or no belief in any medicines; but that they know of 
instances where men have been bitten by Cobras and have 
recovered by binding ligatures in several places tightly round 
the limb above the punctures, and then by burning the bitten 
part thoroughly either with a hot iron, a live coal, or exploding 
gunpowder. 
September 4sth, 1869. 
Present, Dr. Fayrer and Mr. Sceva. 
Experiment No. 14. 
A Pariah Dog was bitten by a Cobra (“Bans-buniah Keautiah,” 
of the snake-men) in the fore-arm at 8.42 p.m. Carbolic acid 
was immediately rubbed into the bites, and within two seconds 
a strong ligature was tied as tightly as it could be drawn round 
the limb above the wounds. 
3 . 44 ._The Dog is restless; the bitten and ligatured limb 
is almost paralysed from the tension of the ligature; below 
the ligature it is intensely congested, and dark blood is drop¬ 
ping ireely from the fang wounds. 3.52. Ten drops of car¬ 
bolic acid, diluted with an ounce of water, were administered 
internally. 4 p.m.— The Dog is lying down, and is very slug¬ 
gish ; but when he is roused he walks about. 4 . 5 .—Lying on 
his side; restless; half convulsive movements of the limbs; 
breathing accelerated. 4.10.—Is now in the sitting posture, 
with fore-legs stretched out in a rigid, convulsive manner. 
4 . 14 .—Rises; staggers as he walks. 4.14.—Rises; falls over 
again. 4.19.—Hind legs twitch convulsively. 4.24.—Con¬ 
vulsive twitchings; is sick. 4.26.—Cannot stand; is con¬ 
vulsed. 4.30.—Sick and convulsed. 4.32.—Heart still beats; 
no respiratory movements. 4.33.—Dead—in fifty-one minutes. 
This experiment shows how futile the carbolic acid and the 
ligature are, even when thoroughly and rapidly applied. The 
ligature was tightened to the extremest strangulation of the 
limb within two seconds of the Cobra’s bite. The carbolic acid 
was applied even sooner, and yet the symptoms of poisoning set 
in rapidly, and death occurred within the hour. The snake, it is 
to be observed too, was not a fresh one, and had been some time 
in captivity. 
Experiment No. 15. 
A Pariah Dog was bitten by a Cobra ( Iieautiah ) in the in¬ 
guinal fold, which was raised and stretched for the purpose. 
The fangs penetrated deeply, and the part was immediately 
excised by a clean sweep with a sharp scalpel, the part 
wounded being completely removed. The Cobra was not fresh, 
but it was active and vigorous, and bit fiercely. 
4 . 12 .—The Dog is restless. 4.27.—Breathing accelerated. 
4 35 .—No further change. 4.40.—Looks sluggish ; eyes 
blinking; breathing rather rapid. 4.46.—No change. 6 p.m. 
No change. 9 p.m. —No change. 5th September, 8 a.m. 
Looks well; takes food. 6 tli September.—Quite well ; not 
affected by the poison. 
This Dog escaped. The excision in this case proved successful; 
it was done very rapidly, and extended considerably beyond the 
marks of the snake s fangs. 
Experiment No. 16. 
The poison of a Cobra ( c< Tentuliah Keautiah ) was removed, 
and two drops inserted between the eyelids of a healthy and 
vigorous young Puppy at 4.12 p.m. The Dog was examined 
again at 4.37 p.m., and the eye was found to have been most 
seriously affected. There was intense chemosis of the conjunc¬ 
tiva, so much so that the eye could not be seen, and the lids 
were puffed out like a ball. The chemosis was very pallid. 
4.46.—Dog again examined, and found to be deeply under 
the influence of the poison. Convulsed in the limbs; unable 
to stand, and salivated; starting and whining with a short, 
snapping, snarling sound ; chemosis intense; eyelids swollen 
like a ball; the eye cannot be seen. 4.54.—Paralysed and 
convulsed. 4.56.—Dead—-in forty-four minutes. 
The result of this experiment surprised me much; for it 
proved that absorption of the poison can take place through a 
membrane, and prove fatal. I am certain there was no wound 
or abrasion of the conjunctiva, and yet the influence of the 
poison was rapid and deadly. Previous experiments have not 
illustrated this effect of snake-poison ; according to most 
observers, it has been thought that the poison could be applied 
with impunity to any surface, even of mucous membrane, 
provided there were no wound. 
Experiment No. 17. 
Having exposed the surface of the pectoral muscle of a Fowl, 
and having raised a few of the superficial fibres without 
causing the effusion of more than a few drops of blood, two or 
three drops of the poison, just taken from a Cobra (“ Keautiah”) 
were rubbed into the exposed surface at 4.12 p.m. 
4.23.—Apparently not affected. 4.26.—The bird is drooping; 
head declining; rises suddenly with a start, as if awakened 
suddenly from a sound sleep; head falls over again, and the 
point of the beak rests on the ground. 4.32.—Rises and stag¬ 
gers ; falls over in convulsions. 4.37.—Violently convulsed. 
4.45.—Violently convulsed. 4.48. — Dead — in thirty-six 
minutes. 
This experiment also proves that absorption of the poison 
takes place through the walls of the vessels; for, although the 
muscular fibre was exposed, there was scarcely a bleeding point. 
It shows the danger of allowing the poison to come in contact 
with any raw or abraded surface. 
Experiment No. 18. 
A very large Bungarus fasciatus, five feet long, was bitten by 
a fresh and vigorous Cobra at 4.46 p.m. The bite was inflicted 
near the tail. 6 p.m. —Very sluggish. 7.20.—Dead. 
Mr. Sceva notes that he thinks that death may have been 
caused by injuries inflicted from compression during handling; 
the head being very small, compared with that of the Cobra or 
Viper, the snake-man grasps the neck more firmly for fear of 
slipping, and hence may have caused the injury. But the results 
of more than one experiment incline me to believe that the Bun¬ 
garus fasciatus is, though in a much less degree than the 
innocuous snakes, susceptible, and that it succumbs to the Cobra 
or Viper poison. At the same time, I quite recognise the justice 
of the doubt which is thrown on the subject by Mr. Sceva. 
On the Influence of Snake-poison when applied to TJnioounded 
Surfaces. 
September 1 1th, 1869. 
Present, Drs. Fayrer, Cunningham, and Mr. Sceva. 
Experiment No. 19. 
Some poison was taken from a Cobra (“ Tentuliah Keautiah”), 
and about a drop inserted between the eyelids of a Pariah Dog 
at 2.58 p.m. 
3 p.m. —The eye is already much irritated; lachrymation pro¬ 
fuse. The Dog keeps rubbing it with his paw, and resting the 
side of the head against the wall; he is very restless and un- 
