THE THANATOPHIDIA OF INDIA. 
18.0 
11.29.—Convulsed; wounded leg quite stiff. 11.32. — Con¬ 
vulsions increasing ; tongue hanging out of the mouth ; pupils 
rapidly dilating; micturition. 11.35.—Pupils dilated. 11.37.— 
Dying. 11.38.—Dead—in fifty-two minutes. 
On removing the blood from the heart it was found fluid; but 
it very rapidly coagulated. 
It will be observed that the poison acted three times quicker 
when injected into a vein than when injected info an artery. 
The Cobras from which the poison was extracted were by no 
means fresh, and had been latterly used very'much for experi¬ 
ments. I believe the undiluted venom of fresh Cobras would 
he much more rapid in its action. I have seen a Dog killed in 
so short a time as fourteen minutes by the bite of a Cobra. 
The following Experiments on the injection of pure Cobra 
poison into the veins were also made by Mr. Richards :— 
September 1 9th. 
Experiment No. 42. 
After isolating the right external jugular vein of a Dog, I 
applied a ligature on its cardiac side. 
4.35 p.m. —Injected four drops of Cobra poison into the vein. 
After injecting the poison the Dog was in no way affected. 
4.36.—The ligature was loosened. The animal immediately 
began to struggle and whine. When released he went stagger¬ 
ing about with his fore-legs widely apart, and his nose touching 
the ground. 4.37.—Began to vomit, and was purged; convul¬ 
sions set in very rapidly ; they did not, however, become very 
violent. 4.40.—Dead—in four minutes from the time the 
poison entered the general circulation. The blood, as in the 
other instances in which the poison was injected into a vein, 
remained fluid. These three experiments prove beyond doubt, 
Mr. Richards thinks, that the Cobra poison, when injected into 
a vein, destroys the coagulability of the blood. 
September 22nd. 
Experiment No. 43. 
The right external jugular vein of a Dog was isolated, and a 
ligature applied on the cardiac side. 3.43 p.m.— About five 
drops of Cobra poison injected. 3.44.—The ligature was 
loosened; the Dog instantly became convulsed. 3.45.—Gasp¬ 
ing. 3.46.30.—Dead—in two minutes and a half after the 
entry of the poison into the general circulation. 
The blood in this instance very imperfectly coagulated. This 
was remarkable, as in the other three instances there was no 
approach to coagulation. 
It appears from Mr. Richards’s experiments on the injection 
of the Cobra poison into a vein that the coagulability of the 
blood is destroyed, as no coagulation took place after death in 
three, and partial coagulation in only one case. In my own 
experiments coagulation always resulted after death from Cobra 
poisoning. This is a point which merits further investigation. 
Mr. Richards also performed the following Experiment of 
applying snake-poison to the sciatic nerve :— 
September 2nd. 
Experiment No. 44. 
The right sciatic nerve of a Dog was exposed, cut in two, 
and the proximal end drawn out of the wound. The lips of 
the wound were then carefully stitched together, the nerve 
being left hanging out, and several layers of collodion applied. 
At 1.33 p.m. I applied two drops of venom, taken from a very 
fine Cobra, to the nerve. I was particularly careful not to 
allow the poison to come in contact with the surrounding parts. 
The Dog was held upon the table for five minutes, during which 
time the poison was being applied to the nerve. He was then 
allowed to go, but kept muzzled, and carefully watched to 
prevent him licking the nerve. 1.57.—Is lame. 2.45.—Un¬ 
affected; made a hearty meal. 4. — Still unaffected. 6.30._ 
Had another meal. 11.30. — Same state. 
September 3rd, 7 a.m. —Unaffected; had no symptoms of 
poisoning whatever. 
Mr. Richards made the following Experiments to test the 
efficacy of applying strong Nitric Acid to the bitten part:— 
Experiment No. 45. 
5 p.m.— A Pig was bitten by a large Cobra, and strong nitric 
acid immediately applied to the bite. 5.15.—Is lying down on 
its side; appears affected. 5.18.—Is convulsed; defecation and 
micturition. 5.30.—Dead—in thirty minutes. 
Experiment No. 46. 
5.17 p.m.— Another Pig was bitten by a small Cobra that had 
been much used of late. The strong nitric acid was at once 
applied. The Pig passes water very frequently. 5.30.—Appears 
slightly sluggish. 7.—Same state. 9.—Convulsed. 10.— 
Dead—in four hours and forty-three minutes. 
TWENTY-SECOND SERIES. 
Experiments on the Effects of the Poison of the Hydrophidce. 
The following Experiments were performed by W. P. Stewart, 
Esq., Civil Surgeon, Pooree :— 
May 9th, 1870. 
Experiment No. 1. 
5.45 p.m. —The thigh of a half-grown Fowl, cleaned of 
feathers, was presented to a Sea-snake. It bit rapidly two or 
three times, and drew blood. After being bitten, the Fowl 
crouched on its bent legs and never stood again. 5.49._ 
Pupils dilated; shook its head as if excited; then began to 
droop; eyelids closing; beak resting on the ground. 5.50.— 
Raising its beak up and down; head rotating from side to side; 
sitting all the time ; no convulsions. 5.55.—Lying on its side 
quite powerless. 5.59.—Dead—in fourteen minutes. 
With a lens no punctures could be made out; even scratches 
could hardly be seen at the seat of bite; blood dark, coasu- 
lated firmly. 
From Mr. Stewart’s description I imagine the snake was 
Hydrophis cyanocincta. In speaking of its fangs, he says, “ Fangs 
about two-thirds of a line long, with a double curve, first bent 
forwards at base, then backwards, before terminating in its 
point. Poison groove extends only from the four-fifth of 
anterior aspect.” 
June 1( 9th, 1870. 
Experiment No. 2. 
Present, Mr. Thomson, C.S., and Mr. Stewart. 
A long thin-necked snake, with white pea-sized spots on 
-side of neck; unable to bite. Poison gland removed, and 
inserted at 11 a.m. into a wound made in the thigh of a half- 
grown Fowl. 11.12 p.m. —No apparent result. 3.—The Fowl 
was observed to be drooping and unable to move. 6.—Dead. 
This snake was most probably II. chloris. 
July 1st, 1870. 
Experiment No. 3. 
A similar snake was obtained on July 1st. It was torpid, 
but the trial was made by pressing the jaws firmly over the 
thigh of a Fowl. 
No result. 
June 29th, 1870. 
Experiment No. 4. 
A Pelamis bicolor, torpid and unable to bite. Mouth opened, 
and jaws made to close firmly over fleshy part of a Fowl’s thigh. 
No result. 
June 29th, 1870. 
Experiment No. 5. 
A Sea-snake (probably II cyanocincta ) was made to close its 
jaws on a Chicken’s thigh at 6 a.m., with firm pressure, as it 
