108 
APPENDIX. 
medical officers, or others under Government, who may he able to 
furnish the information, a return showing the number of deaths 
that have occurred in their districts, from January 1 st to December 31st, 
1869, from snake-bites, giving the age, sex, occupation, and residence 
of those who have suffered, with the name of the snake, when pro¬ 
curable, by which the bite was inflicted. 
I have, Sec., 8ec., 
(Signed) J. Fayrer. 
RETURN showing the number of Deaths and Recoveries from Snake-bites in 
No. III. 
NOTE ON THE USE OF SNAKE-POISON IN MEDICINE, BY 
THE KABIRAJES OF BENGAL. 
I am indebted to Baboo Amirto Lai Mozumdar, a student of the 
Medical College, for the following information obtained from Baboo 
Gunga Persad Sen, one of the most learned Kabirajes of Calcutta, on 
the use, by them, of snake-poison in medicine. It is used in the Bish 
Badi, to a considerable extent, by these practitioners, who have much 
faith in its efficacy. 
The poison which is commonly used for medicinal purposes by the 
Kabirajes is taken from the “ Keautiah.” It is not taken from the 
“ Gokurrah” (Spectacled Cobra), Sankerchor, Sanlcni, or the Viper 
(Bora), as these are not easily available, and their poison is said to be 
extremely acute. 
Modes of obtaining the Poison. —1st, The snake is irritated and 
made to bite an object : a vessel attached to a long stick, held ready, 
is presented underneath its jaws, so that the poison discharged falls 
into the vessel. 
2nd, The snake is introduced into an earthen pot, in which are 
kept two or three green plantains, the opening of the pot being 
covered by an earthen plate. By the application of heat below the 
vessel, the snake becomes furious and bites the plantains into which the 
poison is' discharged. The part of the plantain into which the poison 
enters turns black, the black part is taken, dried, reduced to powder, 
purified, and used in medicine. 
Of the two modes of obtaining poison, the last is the least dange¬ 
rous and more convenient. 
The poison thus obtained is impregnated with saliva and other im¬ 
purities"; it is not advisable to use it in this state, for thus taken it is 
said to be irritant, warm, sharp, penetrating, and prompt in its action 
beyond all description ; it likewise produces considerable derangement 
of the nervous and digestive systems. Hence, when inconsiderately 
administered, in an impurified state, it creates nervous irritability, dis¬ 
ordered circulation, hepatic derangement, stupor, and weakness of the 
joints. For this reason learned practitioners of ancient times used 
to purify snake-poison by mixing it with the juice of neem leaves and 
lime-juice, because neem leaves are bitter and lime-juice is refrige¬ 
rant, and also because they tend in a great degree to lessen the bad 
effects of snake-poison. 
Mode of purifying and preserving the Poison. —The poison obtained 
by the above-mentioned methods is mixed with a quantity of lime-juice 
and the juice of neem leaves, and dried. The residue is again mixed 
with a quantity of lime-juice and juice of neem leaves, and dried. 
This process is repeated five times. 
Physiological Action. —It is warm, irritant, stimulating, a promoter 
of the virtues of other medicines, anti-spasmodic, digestive, a promoter 
of the action of the secreting organs. 
Therapeutical Action. —Used in the latter stage of low forms of fever 
when other remedies fail, it accelerates the heart’s action, and diffuses 
warmth over the general surface; clears the mind if coma supervene. 
In the collapsed state of cholera, it is successfully used. It is em¬ 
ployed in dysentery and some complicated diseases. Used in epilepsy 
arising from cold, relieving the patient from insensibility and forget¬ 
fulness, symptomatic of that disease. Some practitioners have written 
that snake-poison is used as an antidote in cases of snake-bite when 
the body is cold and the heart’s action is scarcely perceptible. Used 
in such a state it accelerates the heart’s action, and causes a flow of 
blood to the distant capillaries in which circulation has ceased, and 
diffuses warmth over the general surface. Subsequently antidotes 
are used which, circulating with the blood, are diffused over the whole 
system. Antidotes, unless mixed with the snake-poison, cannot be 
introduced into the system by reason of the cessation of circulation. 
Moreover, snake-poison is the only medicine that can produce 
instantaneous effects on the whole system. For this reason also 
antidotes are mixed with snake-poison. But I (says the Kabiraja) 
am not of that opinion, I rather believe that certain vegetable and 
mineral poisons are proper antidotes to snake-poison and vice versa, 
because snake-poison causes determination of blood to the brain, and 
thereby affects the nervous system ; whereas the mineral and vegetable 
substances used as antidotes mostly cause determination of blood to 
the alimentary canal, and thereby change the position of the congestion 
from the brain to the alimentary canal. 
Charaka and other sages have treated on this subject. The Ayur¬ 
veda, our standard books on medical science, do not describe any 
principles or any case from which we can ascertain that snake-poison 
alone has ever been used. So that I do not think it necessary to 
mention its dose, or the circumstances in which this poison can alone 
be administered. 
The Bish Badis in general use among the Kabirajes are chiefly of 
three kinds. These are :— 
1. Suchikabharana, 
2. Aghora nrisinha-rasa, 
3. Pratapa-lankeshvara, THTR 
1. Suchikabharana. 
This is prepared in two ways :— 
First : 
(^v55T«ft) Kajjali (a sort of black sulphuretted mercury) . 2 parts, 
(^ffaj 3H5I) Sisa-bhasma (burnt oxidized lead) .... 1 part. 
(f*re) Bisha (aconite).1 „ 
Sarpa-bisha (snake-poison).1 „ 
These four ingredients are to be reduced to powder and mixed, and 
then to be subjected to what is called the bliavand (^rpfsn), a 
process in which the powder is to be repeatedly mixed and pounded 
with certain liquid substances, and exposed to the influence of the sun 
and thus dried. 
This preparation is thus to be treated with :— 
First : 
[TTff rl] fKrT Fish gall (of the Cyprinus rohita) . 7 times. 
151JJ fcjTT Goat’s bile . ,, 
fffTi Peacock’s bile . ,, 
TFKK. ftjTt Wild boar’s bile . „ 
Second method of preparation. 
^ Mercury.1 part. 
Snake-poison.2 parts. 
These are to be mixed together and evaporated in a retort: and 
the vapour is collected in a receiver, which vapour is kept for use in 
stoppered phials. This is only used hypodermically, through the 
centre of the scalp, in epilepsy and snake-bite. 
2. Aghora-nrisinha-rasa. 
Sulphuretted mercury . 
cTPSr Burnt copper (oxidized) . 
Burnt iron (oxidized). 
Burnt tin (oxidized). 
Burnt mica . 
Uftfvirl JUbfopsTT Purified red arsenic .... 
r^Trf JTTUrgj Svarna-makshika (a preparation of gold 
and mercury with sulphur, Sec.) . 
Snake-poison . 
Three pungents (ginger, long, and black 
pepper) . 
f%R Aconite . 
Ox 
2 parts. 
1 part. 
2 parts. 
3 „ 
4 „ 
1 part. 
1 part. 
4 parts. 
