EXPERIMENTS ON THE INFLUENCE OF SNAKE-POISON. 
and falls over; convulsive movements. 1.2 p.m. —Convulsed. 
1-7.—Convulsions : bowels acted again. 1.9.—Dead. 
First bite, doubtful, 12.15. Second, certain, 12.44. Dead 
1.9—fifty-four minutes from the first doubtful bite ; or twenty- 
five minutes from the second certain bite. The skin was 
removed from the wounded part. The cellular tissue around 
the puncture was dark, eccliymosed, and (edematous. The 
blood, when removed from the body after death, coagulated 
firmly into a red clot. 
Experiment No. 26. 
A Fowl was bitten in the thigh by the same Op hi op hag us at 
12.49. It limped immediately on the bitten leg. 12.54.— 
Fowl drooping, head falling over. 12.55.—Convulsed. 12.56.— 
Purged ; convulsed. 1 p.m. — Dead — in eleven minutes. 
Aieolar tissue about the wound eccliymosed ; blood coagulated 
firmly on being removed from the body after death. The snake 
is apparently not so virulent as a Cobra, for the Fowl lived 
eleven minutes after being bitten. But this may be due to the 
weak condition of the Ophiophagus, for it has been long in con¬ 
finement ; it looks sickly, and has been fed on fish, instead of 
its natural food, snakes, which it declines to eat. They have 
been put into its case, but it refuses to touch them. 
Experiment No. 27. 
I append an extract from the European Mail on the subject 
of an antidote for Cobra poison :— 
“ Snake Poison and its Antidote. 
“ To the Editor of the European Mail. 
“Sir, —Having noticed of late the publication in both 
European and American journals of articles upon the subject 
and particularly one under date March 2nd, 1870, under the 
heading ‘ The Cobra Question in India,’ I trust you will give 
publicity to this communication, on account of its importance; 
and am induced to ask for it- a place in the columns of your 
journal, in the hope that it will afford to your readers, in India 
more particularly, a knowledge of an antidote for snake-poisons, 
which may claim to be specific, insomuch as it has never been 
known to fail in a single instance during the past three years 
in different districts in this country in which I have been able 
to induce its general adoption, and particularly by the curanderos, 
or curers (snake-charmers). I have devoted no little time 
during the past twenty years to a study of the habits, pecu¬ 
liarities, &c. of poisonous snakes, and have made many experi¬ 
ments with their poisons, with a view to discover, if possible, 
specific antidotes to them ; and have been so far successful as to 
be able to announce the law in therapeutics that ‘ all animal 
poisons have their specific antidotes in the gall of the animal or 
the reptile in which these poisons exist.’ 
The bite of the Cobra, or of any other poisonous snake or 
reptile, can be cured by administering a few drops of a prepara¬ 
tion of the gall of the Cobra, which should be prepared as 
follows -.—Pure spirits of wine, of 95 per cent, alcohol, or the 
best high wines that can be procured, 200 drops; of the pure 
gall, 20 drops ; in a clean two-ounce phial, corked with a new 
cork ; give the phial 150 or 200 shakes, so that the gall may be 
thoroughly mixed with the spirits, and the preparation is ready 
for use. In case of a bite put five drops (no more) of the pre¬ 
paration into half a tumblerful of pure water; pour the water 
fiom one tumbler into another backwards and forwards several 
times, that the preparation may be thoroughly mixed with the 
water, and administer a large tablespoonful of the mixture every 
three or five minutes until the whole has been given. In case 
the violence of the pain and haemorrhage or swelling of the 
bitten part should be but slightly alleviated after the whole has 
been taken, repeat the dose, prepared with the same quantity of 
the preparation in the same way, and administer as before. In 
curing upwards of fifty cases of snake-bites I have never been 
121 
obliged to repeat the dose except in two instances, and have 
never lost a case. The Cobra poison is no more deadly than 
that of a great variety of snakes found in South America, of 
which may be named the ‘Cascabel,’ or Rattlesnake; ‘Boqui- 
doi ada, oi Grilded IVloutli; Mnpana-Sapo,’ or Frog-headed 
c Mapana ’; ‘ Mapana-fina,’ or ‘ Lachesis,’ ‘Niger,’ ‘ Birri,’ and 
Verrugosa, or Wart-snake. The poison of all these varieties 
produces death (under certain conditions—atmospherical, phy¬ 
sical, climaterical, and electrical) in from fifteen minutes to two 
oi three hours; but it is found that the gall of each variety (ad¬ 
ministered as previously indicated) is the perfect antidote for its 
own poison. The gall of the most deadly kind may be used in 
cases of bites of those less virulent, and is also applicable in 
cases of bites of the Centipede, Scorpion, Sting-ray, Star-lizard, 
oi Lacei ta stella , and is also very effective in Dog-bites. 
“ S. B. Higgins. 
“ State of Magdalena, April 10th, 1870.” 
The instructions therein contained have been most carefully 
followed. The alcoholic solution of the bile of the Cobra was 
prepared with the greatest accuracy by Dr. D. Cunningham; it 
was taken from a large and vigorous Cobra killed on purpose, 
and the tincture prepared without delay. 
The following experiments were made on July 28tli:_ 
A full-grown Pariah Dog was bitten by a Cobra (“ Ba-ns- 
buniah Keautiah ”) on the thigh at 12.30. The bite was very 
slight, as the snake seemed indisposed to close its jaws. How¬ 
ever, a very slight wound was inflicted, and it was not repeated, 
as it was more probable that the antidote would be beneficial, 
the dose of poison being slight. At 12.32 the antidote was 
administered exactly according to the instructions. 12.35._ 
Another dose given. 12.38.—Dose repeated. 12.41. Dose 
repeated. ( The Dog is sluggish and depressed. 12.42._ 
Staggers in his gait; micturates and defecates profusely. 12.44. 
—Another dose given. 12.47.—Dose repeated. 12.51.— 
Another dose given. 12.53.—Dose repeated. The Dog is 
sluggish. 12.56.—Another dose given. 12.59.—Dose re¬ 
peated. 1.2 p.m.— Dose repeated. 1.5. — He is very sluggish 
and depressed. 1.8.—Convulsed; another dose given. 1.12._- 
Dose repeated. 1.17.—Very drowsy; convulsive twitchings ; 
another dose given. 1.25.—Dose repeated. 1.30.— Con¬ 
vulsed ; another dose given. 1.34.—Dose repeated. 1.41._ 
Feeble respirations, almost paralysed. 1.45—Still breathes. 
1.52.—Still breathes ; cannot move; has occasional convulsive 
twitchings. 1.57.—Dead—in eighty-seven minutes. Blood 
coagulated firmly on being removed from the body. Skin 
raised over the bite; areolar tissue eccliymosed and oedematous. 
The symptoms were simply those caused by a smaller dose of 
the poison than usual—death resulting in eighty-seven minutes. 
Experiment No. 28. 
A Pariah Dog was bitten in the thigh by a Cobra at 12.58. 
The bile antidote administered at 12.55. 12.58.—Another dose 
given. 1.1 p.m. —Another dose given. It was repeated at 
intervals of three minutes. 1.6.—The Dog is sluggish and 
staggering. 1.10.—Convulsed. 1.12.—Dying. 1.13.—Dead 
in twenty minutes. The antidote was administered regularly 
at intervals of three minutes. Blood coagulated firmly after 
death ; areolar tissue under the integument eccliymosed and 
oedematous. 
Experiment No. 29. 
A young Dog was bitten in the thigh by a Spectacled Cobra 
( Ivuirees Grokurrah ) at 1.25 p.m. Mr. Otho Alexander’s 
fluid antidote administered, and paste diluted with ammonia, 
applied according to Mr. A.’s instructions. 1.27.—The Dog 
staggers, drags the bitten leg. 1.28.—Bitten leg paralysed. 
1.29. The Dog has fallen over; paralysed. 1.30.—Convulsed. 
1.32. Dead—in seven minutes. The Dog was about half 
grown ; the Cobra was fresh and vigorous. The drugs did not 
i i 
