142 
THE THANATOPHIDIA OF INDIA. 
On tlie 1st November the Dog was alive and well, but the 
thigh was swollen, tense, and a dark, almost gangrenous spot 
indicated the seat of the Trimeresurus bite. 
Experiment No. 3. 
A Fowl was bitten in the thigh by the same Trimeresurus 
monticola at 11.36. It became somewhat lame, grew rather 
sluggish, and the feathers stared, but it soon recovered, and in 
three hours was quite well. 
Experiment No. 4. 
Another Fowl bitten by same snake ; again it plunged its 
fangs deeply, and drew blood. The bird became rather sluggish, 
somewhat lame, and its feathers staring; but at 12.15 it had 
quite recovered. 
These four experiments sufficiently confirm what has been 
said of the poison of the Trimeresurus , that it is not so deadly 
as that of the colubrine snakes, or of the Viperidce. They also 
prove that the snake is rapidly exhausted. The immediate 
effects of the first bite on a Fowl were very striking, although 
they did not prove rapidly fatal; each succeeding bite was, 
however, much less poisonous, and the last seemed hardly to 
have any effect at all. 
The following experiment with the Eel as carinata, an indi¬ 
vidual half the size of the Trimeresurus, that has been three 
months or more in captivity, without food, and that has bitten 
frequently, shows how much greater is the intensity of the one 
poison than the other :— 
Experiment No. 5. 
A Fowl bitten by an Echis carinata at 12.1 p.m. in the thigh. 
12.2.—The bird has fallen over; limbs paralysed; feathers 
drooping. 12.3.—Has risen again; stands on one leg, the 
other drawn up. 12.10.—Fell over ; head lies helpless on the 
ground ; violently convulsed. 12.12.—Dead—in eleven minutes. 
Blood removed from the body after death formed a very small 
coagulum, which dissolved again when shaken up with the fluid 
part. In poisoning by the Echis the Fowl does not seem to 
acquire that drowsy state in which it rests its beak on the 
ground, nodding its head, and making frequent starts, as when 
bitten by the Cobra or Krait. It is sluggish and paralysed, 
then falls into convulsions and dies. 
Experiment No. 6. 
A Fowl bitten on the thigh by a Bungarus cceruleus at 12.21. 
The Fowl immediately crouched, and the head fell over, beak 
resting on the ground. 12.22.—Convulsed. 12.25.—Dead—in 
four minutes. 
The blood, on being removed from the body a few minutes 
after death, coagulated firmly. 
Mr. Bichards, of Bancoorah,* has kindly made the following 
experiments at my request •— 
Experiment No. 1. 
October 19th.-—A Cobra was bitten by another large Cobra 
of the same kind (“Kala Kurrees”) in two places at 11 p.m. 
Fangs penetrated. 
October 28th.—-The snake is unaffected. 
Experiment No. 2. 
A large Cobra was bitten by a large Bungarus cceruleus, at 
12.53 p.m. on the 19th October. At noon on the 21st October 
the Cobra died. The death may, however, not be due to the 
bite, as man} r of the snakes are dying at present. 
Experiment No. 3. 
A Bungarus cceruleus was bitten by a Cobra at 12.58, 19tli 
October. No result. The Bungarus alive on 28tli October. 
TWENTY-SEVENTH SERIES. 
On certain alleged Antidotes. 
The following experiments were performed by Mr. Richards, 
Civil Surgeon of Bancoorah, in the presence of Dr. Sandiford, 
of Jamalpore, with the view of testing certain so-called 
antidotes:— 
December 31V, 1870. 
Experiment No. 1. 
9.9 A.M.- —A small Pariah Dog was bitten in the thigh 
by a Cobra ( Naja tripudians). The snake, which had 
been brought from Bancoorah to Jamalpore, was sickly and 
about casting its skin. There was the greatest difficulty in 
making it inflict a bite, which, after all, was a very doubtful one. 
9.14.—Administered the antidote according to directions. 
This Dog did not exhibit any symptom of poisoning; I believe 
this fact is due to its having been imperfectly bitten. 
The antidote is a root, and was sent to Dr. Fayrer by Baboo 
Antool Kisto Bose, a medical practitioner. 
The antidote with which the two following experiments were 
performed was sent to Dr. Fayrer by Mr. C., of Howrah. 
The plant (supposed to be a kind of sorrel) was boiled with 
ginger and water. 
Experiment No. 2. 
9.21 a.m. —A half-starved Pariah Dog was bitten by a Krait 
(Bungarus cceruleus ); as the bite was a very unsatisfactory one, 
he was bitten again by another Krait. Neither of the snakes 
was vigorous. 9.24.—A large dose of the antidote ad¬ 
ministered. 10 a.m. —Appears pretty well, and eats food that 
is given to him ravenously. 
January 1st, 1871, 6 a.m. —Is moving about uneasily and 
making a whining noise. 12.2 p.m.- —Lying helplessly on his 
side; breathing laboriously; micturition and defecation. 
12.4.—Another large dose of the antidote administered. 12.5.— 
In the same state. Administered more antidote. 
January 2nd. — Found dead at 6 a.m. Blood coagulated 
firmly after death. 
Experiment No. 3. 
9.52 a.m.— A Fowl was bitten in the thigh by one of the 
Kraits used in the foregoing experiment. The bitten part 
became swollen and cedematous. 9.53.-—A large dose of the 
antidote administered. 10.30.-—Appears pretty well. 12.2 p.m.— 
Convulsed. 12.5S.—Dead—in three hours and six minutes. 
I attribute the prolongation of life in both the above cases 
to the sickly condition of the snakes and probably imperfect 
injection of the poison. 
January 2nd, 1871. 
Experiment No. 4. 
A Fowl was bitten in the thigh by one of the Kraits used 
in the above experiments at 10.28 a.m. 10.30.-—-Administered 
some of the antidote used in Experiment No. 1. 12.35 p.m.—- 
Appears drowsy; administered more antidote. 12.39.—Hypo¬ 
dermically injected some of the antidote. 12.42.—Convulsed. 
12.50.—Dead—in two hours and twenty-two minutes. 
These antidotes were spoken of as “ infallible cures for snake¬ 
bite;” the results of these experiments prove, however, that 
they are useless. 
The following experiments with an antidote sent by R. M. 
Edwards, Esq., Civil Service Commissioner of Jhansie, to Dr. 
Fayrer, were made by V. Richards, Esq.:— 
In a letter to Dr. Fayrer, Mr. Edwards remarks, “ I take the 
liberty of sending you a specimen of the weed which is known 
in the North-west by the name of ‘ Pooreya Paru,’ and 
which I have found wonderfully successful in cases of 
snake-bite.” 
* Now of Balasore. 
