100 
EXPERIMENTS ON THE INFLUENCE OF SNAKE-POISON. 
easy; chemosis rapidly increasing. 3.5.—Lying down ; rubbing 
the eye, which is much cliemosed ; whining and restless. 3.16._ 
Dog very restless; lies with his head resting against the 
wall. 3.28.—Eye intensely swollen; the animal is very rest¬ 
less and whines. 3.35.—He'is evidently under the influence 
of the poison; breathing deeply. 4.4.—Lying quiet; breath¬ 
ing very deep. 4.11.—Lies curled up. 4.16.—Gets up; is 
quite intelligent; is very weak and cannot stand long; the 
eye is intensely swollen, with a pale chemosis. 5.15 p.m.— 
On being roused from a lethargic state, appears stupid and 
confused; eye intensely swollen; lies down again and sleeps 
soundly. 5.31. Breathing slowly and heavily. 6 p.m.— 
Sleeping comfortably. 9.30.—Walks without difficulty ; looks 
more natural; rubs the swollen eye with his fore-paw. The 
constitutional effects of the poison are evidently passing off. 
September 12th, 3 a.m. —Sleeping comfortably; breathing 
natural. 8 a.m. —Swelling of eyelids diminishing ; appears 
lively. 5 p.m. —Still improving. 13th.—Improving; opens 
the eyelids ; the cornea is quite opaque, and there is a muco¬ 
purulent discharge from the eye. 14th.—The Dog is recover¬ 
ing. 15th.—Except that the cornea is opaque, and some con¬ 
junctivitis remains, the Dog is well; he is cheerful; takes his 
food well. 
It was evident in this case that the Dog was poisoned by 
absorption from the conjunctiva. The constitutional effects 
were not severe as in the former Dog, but the local mischief was 
very serious, and for a time, at all events, has destroyed the 
sight of that eye. The intense chemosis no doubt caused the 
corneal mischief. The results of these experiments show how 
careful we should be to protect the eyes when handling and 
approaching the Cobra or Viper in an excited state, when it 
is possible that some of the poison scattered, as the snake 
attempts to strike, might accidentally be injected into the eye. 
In another experiment a very minute portion of the poison was 
thus thrown into the eye of one of the gentlemen assisting in 
the experiments. The poison had been applied to a Dog’s nostril, 
and in the sneeze that resulted, the accident happened. The 
eye was immediately washed and fomented, care being taken 
not to rub it, and no evil result beyond lachrymation, irrita¬ 
tion, and transitory redness followed. 
Experiment No. 20. 
Some poison was taken from a Spectacled Cobra (“Gokurrali”), 
and a drop or two inserted into a Pariah Dog’s nostril at 3 p.m. 
Violent sneezing and profuse watery discharge from the nostril 
resulted almost immediately. 
3.30.—The sneezing and watery discharge continue, and 
seem to irritate the Dog considerably. 3.45.—No constitu¬ 
tional effects of the poison manifested, but the local symptoms 
continue unabated. Two drops more of the same poison were 
well rubbed into the palate. 4.15.—No change. Two more 
drops rubbed into the mucous surface of the cheek. 4.25.— 
Not affected. The last applications appear to have caused no 
irritation. 5 p.m. —No change. September 12th, 3 a.m.— Does 
not appear to be affected in any way by the poison. The 
catarrhal symptoms have passed away. 13th.—The Dog is well. 
In this case, beyond the local irritation no effect was pro¬ 
duced. 
Experiment No. 21. 
A drop of Cobra poison was inserted into a Fowl’s eve at 
3.15 p.m. 
3.18.—Eye already much swollen; membrana nictitans 
deeply cliemosed. 3.30.—Eyelids quite closed; no constitu¬ 
tional sign of poisoning. 3.37.—No change. 4.10.—Another 
drop inserted into the same eye. Much irritation immediately 
followed; the Fowl is constantly trying to scratch the eyelid 
with its foot. 4.20.—Beginning to droop ; nodding its head ; 
sleeping as Fowls do when they begin to feel the influence of 
the poison. 4.30. — Head more drooping. 5. — No further 
change; no worse. 5.30.—Eyelids greatly swollen, but no 
appearance of any constitutional action of the poison. 9 p.m. _ 
The same. The Fowl continued to improve. The eyelids and 
conjunctiva became less swollen, and gradually recovered ; and 
on the 16th the bird was perfectly well, and its eye quite right 
again. 
In this case also, as in that of the Dog, the local symptoms 
were very severe, whilst the constitutional symptoms were mild 
and transient. They equally showed, however, that the poison 
can be absorbed through the unbroken surface of a membrane, and 
that the conjunctiva especially is apt to permit of the endosmosis. 
Experiment No. 22. 
A few drops of Cobra poison were rubbed into tire mucous 
lining of a Fowl’s mouth at 3.42 p.m, 4.15. — No effect; no 
sign of either local or constitutional disturbance. 12th, 8 a.m. _ 
Not affected. 13th.—The Fowl is perfectly well, and does 
not appear to have been in the least affected by the poison. 
In this case, as in the experiment on the Dog (No. 20) no 
evil resulted from the contact of the poison with the tongue 
and mucous surface of the mouth. 
The evidence of these four experiments is not absolutely con¬ 
clusive as to the extent to which the poison may operate by 
absorption through a mucous membrane. They prove that 
absorption in the case of the conjunctiva and the Schneiderian 
membrane leally does occur, whilst in the mouth absolutely no 
effect was produced. But the poison was not taken from fresh 
oi vigoious snakes, that is, they had been some time in confine¬ 
ment, and its action may have been impaired. Sufficient, how¬ 
ever, is shown to prove how dangerous the contact of the poison 
with a delicate mucous surface may really prove. 
SEVENTEENTH SERIES. 
On the Influence of Snake-Poison on the Blood , and also on its Action 
when applied to the Surface of the Conjunctiva, and on the Value 
of Lau de Luce in the Treatment of Snake-poisoning. 
September ISth, 1869. 
Present, Drs. Fayrer, Cunningham, and Mr. Sceva. 
Experiment No. 1. 
A Dog was bitten in the fore-foot by a Spectacled Cobra. 
The snake struck the Dog in the foot, and held on for a 
moment, at 3.27 p.m. The snake had been some weeks in 
captivity and had bitten before. 3.30.—The Dog wildly ex¬ 
cited, whining, and licking the bitten part, which is bleeding 
and swollen; keeps turning round and round; sitting down 
and rising again in an excited manner; breathing very much 
accelerated. 3.40.—Licking the wound in sitting posture, and 
is trembling all over. 3.47.—Staggering. 3.50. — In convul¬ 
sions. 3.55.—Dead—in twenty-eight minutes. 
Body examined at 4 p.m. —Lungs not congested; cavities of 
the heart filled with dark blood, which reddened and coagulated 
firmly directly it was removed: part was already coagulated 
At 4.15 no rigor mortis. 
Mr. Sceva reports that a little stiffness of the limbs had taken 
place at ten minutes to five, or in about an hour after death. 
Experiment No. 2. 
A Pariah Dog was bitten by the Daboia that had been in 
confinement since December, 1868, and during that period had 
never taken food or water. It had been some weeks unused, 
and when taken out of the box was very active and vicious; it 
seemed in good health and condition. Its jaws were closed on 
the Dog s thigh at 3.27 p.m. At 3.28 the Dog was partially 
paralysed; it made no noise, seemed to feel no pain; tried to 
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