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EXPERIMENTS ON THE INFLUENCE OF SNAKE-POISON. 
The following are the directions as to dose, &c. “ The dose 
is one tololi weight of the powdered weed, ground up with 
twenty black peppers, mixed in a chitach of water.” 
September 2 Qth, 1871. 
Experiment No. 5. 
At 5.13 p.m. I administered a dose of the antidote, carefully 
prepared as directed, to a large country Gloat. At 5.15 p.m. the 
Goat was bitten by a Cobra. Appears much irritated by the 
bite. 5.28.—Appears pretty well. 5.57.—The head begins to 
droop slightly. 5.59.—Ban about ten yards and then fell down. 
6 p.m.—C onvulsed ; pupils rapidly dilating. 6.6. — Dead—in 
fifty-one minutes. 
Experiment No. 6. 
A small country Goat was bitten by a Cobra at 5.20 p.m. 
5.22.—Administered a dose of the antidote. 5.29. — Appears 
slightly sluggish and is lying down. 5.33. — Convulsed. 
5.40. —Dead — in twenty minutes. 
Experiment No. 7. 
A middling-sized country Goat was bitten by a Cobra at 
5.25 p.m. 5.28.—Is feeding. 5.34.-—Administered a dose of 
the antidote. 5.36.—Sluggish; is evidently much affected. 
5.40. —Fell over and became convulsed. 5.50.—Pupils widely 
dilated. 5.52.—Dead—in twenty-seven minutes. 
Blood after death coagulated in all three instances. 
I am also indebted to my indefatigable friend Mr. Y. 
Richards, for the following report on the trial of an antidote 
sent to me by Dr. Attygalli from Ceylon. He says its repute 
is very great in that island. The experiments performed by 
Mr. Richards place it in the same category with other “ certain” 
antidotes. 
Mr. Richards writes :—“ This antidote, the recipe of which is 
a secret, is said to be in great repute in Ceylon, never having 
been known to fail in a single instance. It was sent from 
Ceylon by a gentleman who gave the following directions: 
‘ Make an incision at the bitten part and then apply half a 
pill, previously moistened with human urine: care being- 
taken that the person from whom the urine is obtained is 
free from venereal disease.’ The native gentleman who furnished 
the antidote further instructs, that ‘ in hopeless cases it should 
be administered through the nostrils also with human urine.’ ” 
May 22nd, 1871. 
Experiment No. 8. 
A large country Goat was bitten by a Spectacled Cobra 
{Naja tripudians ) at 2.47 p.m. The bitten part bled profusely. 
At 2.50 the bitten part was well incised, and half a pill, which 
had been previously moistened with urine taken from a healthy 
person, was carefully inserted into the wound. 3.4.—The 
animal is sluggish; the antidote does not seem to have much 
effect. 3.6.—As the case may now be considered “ hopeless,” 
the medicine is applied as directed through the nostrils. Con¬ 
vulsed. 3.10.—Dead—in thirty-three minutes. 
Experiment No. 9. 
A small country Goat was bitten by the same Cobra at 
2.55 p.m. 3.—The bitten part was incised and half a pill, ac¬ 
cording to the directions, was applied. 3.4.—Is very uneasy. 
3.10.-—Applied half a pill to the nostrils. 3.12.—Violently 
convulsed; applied another half of a pill to the nostrils. 
3.18.—Dead—in twenty-three minutes. 
Experiment No. 10. 
A Fowl was bitten by the same Cobra at 3.5 p.m. ; the 
part was instantly incised, and the quarter of a pill previously 
treated with urine applied. 3.12.—The Fowl is drowsy. 
3.45.— Convulsed. 3.59. — Dead — in fifty-four minutes. The 
poison of the Cobra must have been very nearly exhausted. 
143 
I he blood coagulated soon after death in each instance ; the 
peristaltic action of the intestines continued for some time after 
the removal of the heart from the two Goats. 
These experiments prove that notwithstanding the great 
reputation of the medicine, and the fact of its composition 
having been a secret known only to one family for more than 
200 years, its antidotal power is simply a myth. 
I am indebted to Mr. V. Richards for the following ex¬ 
periment :— 
Experiment No. 11. 
Experiment with an antidote (a nut of some kind) sent to 
Dr. Fayrer from Singapore. The directions were, “Bruise 
a nut in cold water, apply externally and give internally.” 
The bruising of the nut was no easy task, owing to its being of 
the consistency of india-rubber. I had to cut the nut into 
small pieces. 
September 14th. — A Dog was bitten by a Cobra at 2.22 p.m. 
2.23. — Antidote applied and administered according to the 
directions. 2.30.—Licking the wound, which bleeds a great 
deal. 2.45.—Sluggish. 2.57.—Fell over on its side. 2.58.— 
Is slightly convulsed. 3.-—Is most violently convulsed, frothy 
mucus issuing from the mouth and nostrils. 3.3.—Dead—in 
forty-one minutes. 
Blood fluid, but firmly coagulated in two minutes. 
Mr. Richards also performed the following additional experi¬ 
ment of injecting dilute Cobra poison into the left external 
jugular vein 
Experiment No. 12. 
The poison of one Cobra was mixed with ten drops of water 
and injected into the left external jugular vein of a Dog at 3.43 
p.m. A ligature had been previously applied on the cardiac 
side of the vein in order to prevent the entry of the poison 
into the general circulation. The Dog was sensible and quiet. 
At 3.44.30 the ligature was loosened; the animal immediately 
began to struggle and whine. 3.45.—Released; the Dog went 
staggering about with his legs wide apart and his head nearly 
touching the ground; passes a quantity of urine; retching. 
3.46.—Fell over on its side; did not become convulsed. 
3.48.—Gasping. 3.49.—Dead—in five minutes from the entry 
of the poison into general circulation. 
The effect of the poison on loosening the ligature was most 
marked. 
The blood was fluid and did not coagulate. (I examined the 
blood six hours after it was taken from the body, but it was still 
fluid.) It was at first of a very dark colour, but it afterwards 
became of a bright red. It will be observed that the blood also 
remained fluid in other instances in which the poison was 
injected into a vein.* 
The following experiments were made to determine the time 
in which the Cobra moults and renews its fangs when shed or 
removed:— 
Experiment No. 13. 
A Cobra cast its epidermis on the 15th October, 1870, and 
was kept in a cage with the view of noting when the next ex¬ 
foliation would occur; it took place on the 6th November 
1870— i.e., in twenty-two days. 
Experiment No. 14. 
The fangs were removed from a large Cobra on the 7th of 
October, 1870 ; they were carefully drawn out, the reserve fangs 
and mucous capsule being uninjured. On the 31st of October, 
or in twenty-four days, it was observed that there were new 
fangs anchylosed to the maxillary bones, and quite capable of 
inflicting a deadly wound. 
* See Experiments by Mr. Richards, Nos. 40—43. Twenty-first series 
pp. 129, 130. 
