110 
THE T Ii AN ATO PH 11)1 A OF INDIA. 
move away a few paces with a staggering gait; the bitten limb 
almost useless ; head drooping to the ground. 3.40. —Is unable 
to stand ; limbs extended, perfectly paralysed ; breathing deeply. 
3.41 .—Convulsive rigidity of the limbs. 3.44. —Dead—in seven 
minutes. 
The poison appears to have been very active in this instance, 
notwithstanding the condition of the snake. Paralysis of the 
nerve centres seemed to follow immediately after the bite; 
there was no sign of pain, and the Dog was unconscious almost 
immediately. 
Body examined at 3.55. —Lungs not congested. Cardiac 
cavities filled with fluid blood. The blood was perfectly fluid, 
both in the heart and great vessels, and remained so; no 
attempt at coagulation occurred. The contrast with the blood 
of the Dog killed by the Cobra was very remarkable—it formed 
at once a firm clot. At 4.15 p.m. there was no rigor mortis. 
Mr. Sceva reports that at ten minutes to five, or in rather 
more than an hour after death, no rigor mortis had taken place. 
Experiment No. 3. 
A Fowl was bitten by the same Baboia in the thigh at 3.49. 
When placed on the ground it ran a few steps, limping on the 
bitten leg. In thirty seconds it fell over in violent convulsions ; 
in twenty seconds more—fifty altogether it was dead. 
The blood of this Fowl remained perfectly fluid after death. 
Experiment No. 4. 
A Fowl was bitten by a small Cobra (“ Tentuliah Keautiah”), 
not fresh, in the thigh at 4.8 p.m. When placed on the ground 
it ran about, limping on the bitten leg. 4.9. Feathers 
drooping; crouching; rises and tries to run; its wings droop 
to the ground. 4.10. —Head falling over, beak resting on the 
ground, comb and wattles becoming livid. 4.11.—Nearly para¬ 
lysed, point of beak resting on the ground to support the head ; 
cannot rise. 4.18. —Violently convulsed. This continued at 
intervals until the Fowl died at 4.23. Dead—in fifteen minutes. 
On opening the body the blood was found to form a firm coa- 
gulum. 
The object of these experiments was to compare again the 
effects of the Baboia and Cobra poison on the blood. They 
seemed to prove that after death from the Viper’s poison, however 
quickly it may be caused, the blood remains permanently fluid; 
whereas that the Cobra poison does not destroy its coagula¬ 
bility. The nature of the change thus wrought on the blood I 
know not at present in its chemical bearings, but it may possibly 
be effected through the nerve centres affecting tire vitality of 
the blood, not by a direct chemical action. There certainly are 
differences in the symptoms caused in the bitten animals, but 
they equally point to direct action on the nerve centres as the 
cause of death. I have seen as much difference between the 
effects produced by different Baboia-s, or by the same Baboia on 
different animals of the same species, as in those that had been 
bitten by the Cobra ; and, on the other hand, similar differences 
in the effects of the bite of different Cobras, or of the same 
Cobra on different animals of the same species, as in those bitten 
by the Baboia. In point of deadliness they are, when fresh 
and vigorous, about equal; but I think that the first effects of 
the poison are most rapidly shown in the Baboia bite. 
Dr. Cunningham, of the Bengal Medical Service, who was on 
special duty investigating the subject of cholera, and who had 
a microscope with high powers, very kindly undertook to make 
a most careful microscopical examination of the blood of these 
animals ; I append his report:— 
“ General Hospital, Friday, September 24th, 1869. 
“ My dear Dr. Fayrer, —Along with this I send you the 
drawings of the Dog’s and Fowl’s blood which I got last 
Saturday. The specimens were examined, and the drawings (of 
which these are copies) were made on Sunday morning. In no 
case were any bodies seen corresponding with Halford s cells. 
“ The blood of the Cobra-bitten Dog was, at the time of ex¬ 
amination, in a firm dark clot. 
“ Beyond the ordinary constituents of the blood nothing could 
be seen, even under a power of nearly 1100 diameters. 
“ The blood of the Dog bitten by the Viper differed from the 
other. 1st. In being entirely fluid. 2nd. In being of a much 
lighter red colour. 3rd. In containing numerous blood crystals. 
4tli. In containing a good many large and active specimens of 
Bacteria. 
“ The Fowl’s blood was in both cases very much broken up and 
decomposed, few entire red corpuscles remaining. This state 
of decomposition was most marked in the blood of that which 
was bitten by the Viper. In both specimens were a few of the. 
circular cells, which occur in Fowl’s blood under ordinary cir¬ 
cumstances. 
“ With many thanks for the opportunity which you have 
given me of examining the blood, I am, &c. 
“ D. Douglas Cunningham.” 
x 750. 
x 330. 
10 
x 1080. 
7 8 Cobra—Fowl. 
9 10 Daboia— Fowl. 
September 25 th, 1869. 
Present, Dr. Fayrer and Mr. Sceva. 
Experiment No. 5. 
A Dog was bitten in the thigh by a fresh Cobra (“ Gokurrah”) 
at 4.3 p.m. 
At 4.4 p.m, thirty drops of eau de luce, diluted with water, 
were poured down the Dog’s throat. The Dog was much ex¬ 
cited, and ran about limping on the bitten leg, which was 
