Experiment No. 2. At 3-30 p. m. a full-grown, fresh cobra of light brown color, ?with one occellus on the hood, was made to bite a large Rana
Tigrina (Bullfrog) on the inner side of the thigh, the integument having been previously raised. The snake was made to close his jaws on, and under the fangs in the muscle, retaining them there for some time. 3-36 p. m.?Apparently not about as usual.
affected; leg
not
paralysed
;
moves
3-55.?No very apparent change, except that the bitten ecchymosed ; rather sluggish.
thigh
is much
4-10.?Very sluggish; hardly moves when stirred; appears paralysed. 4-25.?Appears to be paralysed, so as to be nnable to move ; respiration goes on well. There are reflex movements when the hind legs are irritated. The legs are drawn up. almost
4-30.?Reflex movements have ceased.
4-45.?Dead, Body much swollen and distended with air. experiment proves that the frog is susceptible, though much less so than warm-blooded animals, to the action of the poison.
This
Experiment No. 3. A
full-grown,
active
Ptyas
Mucosus
(Dhamin)
was
bitten at
3-36 p. m. in the mouth by a powerful, vigorous, and fresh cobra. The snakes were made to close their jaws on each other. The snake remained unaffected, and on the 11th, at 2 p. m., was quite well.
There could be
deeply
inserted in this case.
no
doubt that the cobra's
fangs
were
Experiment No. 4. Elavescens (Gosamp) was bitten, at by a full-grown, fresh, and vigorous cobra of the variety, with one occellus, which the Natives of Bengal call Keowtie," in the mouth and in the thigh, the integument having been previously raised to ensure the penetraA
large
Yarannus
3-55 p. m., light colored
"
tion of the fangs and
insertion
of the venom.
leg dragged as though paralysed ; the bleeding from the cobra's bite. p. m.?Drags the leg ; is rather sluggish, but not much is
3-57.?The bitten mouth is 4-25
EXPERIMENTS ON THE ACTION OE THE COBRA POISON. Br J.
Fayrke, M.D., F.R.C.S.E., Surgeon, Bengal Army ; Professor of Surgery in College of Bengal.
the Medical ?
/
affected.
4-27.?Lies prone.
4-55.?Much the same.
the Yarannus
Experiment No. 1.
plunge
his
fangs
them there for some time. in the snake.
mouth, by closing
into the
exposed part,
and retain
It was then made to bite the cobra
under-jaw of the bitten placed in a large cage, symptoms of being affected
the jaws on the
The wounded snake was then
and watched.
It did not show any
was perfectly well, vigorous, and active on the 10th at 2 p..m.?At 2 p. m. of the 11th June, the bitten snake was well and active. This appears to be almost conclusive that the cobra is not affected by the poison secreted by another
by
the
cobra.
poison,
and
; can
and
be moved with
moves
with
difficulty.
After this the Varannus began to
dead in the cage.
he
appeared
better,
at 2 p. m., I found He was seen alive about
noon.
At 3-29 p. m. a full-grown, vigorous, and fresh cobra was made to bite a very powerful full-grown cobra of a black color. The scales were scraped off near the head, and the other snake made to
nearly paralysed,
improve, and at 2 p. m. the following day though still sluggish. On the 11th June,
Fourth series.
was
Is
great difficulty. 4-35.?Apparently paralysed
Experiment No. 5. At 4
p. m., half-grown fowl was inoculated in the muscular part of the thigh with four drops of cobra poison removed from the snake the day before. The poison was injected with the ordinary hypodermic The effect was almost a
syringe.
instantaneous. The fowl staggered when placed on the ground ; was in convulsions at 4-1, and was dead at 4-4. This experiment
would appear to show that the poison loses very little of its power, if any, by removal; and that its action depends much on the instrument with which it is injected. The hypodermic needle resembles the cobra's fang, and was almost as rapid in
inducing
the full effect of the
poison.
Experiment No. 6, At 4-7 p. m., a very large Rana Tigrina was injected with drops of the same poison, with the same instrument as that
ten
'
July 1,
ON FATTY DEGENERATION.?BY C. R. FRANCIS.
1868.]
The axilla and the abdominal wall were the
used for the fowl. selected
places
for
injection. 4-22.?Slightly convulsed, and then partially paralysed. 4-30.?Almost motionless; respiratory movements still
apparent. 4-35.?Dead. 4-20.?He
is
to be
beginning
sluggish,
but is very
slightly
affected. This
experiment points
poison
on
to the difference of the effect of the
cold and warm-blooded animals.
the amount of the it took seven times
poison as long
"With three times
fowl,
used in the case of the
as
was
to
kill the
frog.
Experiment No. 7.
One drop of carbolic acid
was
to move or
full-grown,
administered to a
vigorous cobra at 4-14 p. m. In two convulsions, and powerless to strike, 4-34.?Still struggling ; convulsed
minutes or ;
even
the snake was in erect his hood.
mouth open, but unable
strike.
gradually been recovering ; looks still very weak, and the head trembles, and can be raised with difficulty. At 2 p. m. the following day the snake had recovered, but still 4-45.?Has
seemed weak, and unable to dilate his hood perfectly. A smaller cobra to which the same quantity, one
administered,
drop,
"was
died in less than five minutes. Experiment No. 8.
Two
drops of carbolic acid were administered to a large frog, Rana Tigrina, at 4-15 p. m. 4-20 p. m.?Apparently not affected. 4-22.?Began to be sluggish. 4-24.?Very sluggish ; reflex movements when the hind legs irritated. 4-30.?No reflex movement j lies almost
are
paralysed
;
respiratory
movements ging on slowly. 4-40.?Quite dead. When
dead,
the
body
became
quite collapsed
?whilst the frog killed by cobra poison
was
and
pinched in,
much distended.
inoculating on this occasion had been day before. There was altogether about forty or fifty drops. It is a slightly viscid, somewhat opalescent fluid ; clear when pressed out of the poison gland, but becoming slightly turbid afterwards, with a slightly acid reaction, and under the microscope presenting the appearance in the annexed sketch,* which I observed after very careful The
used for
poison
taken from three cobras the
examination. This poison used on the day after its abstraction had lost very little of its virulence ; for, when injected through the hypodermic needle, it caused death very rapidly. Where it has appeared to fail, the apparent failure has probably been due to the mode of insertion. The hypodermic syringe is very like the poison fang, and it appeared to inject the poison as
just
efficaciously. I may note that the experiments with cobras have been made with three varieties of the "Naga Tupudiana." They vary in color from black or prismatic dark-purple to a light brown or ash color. The snake-catchers describe three kinds : the Goomtm, marked on the hood with spectacles ; the Kcowtie, marked on the hood with one occellus, and the or the black cobra.
color;
generally
of
a
Kalasamp Bungarus Fasciatus they
light
call Sankni. The Daboia Russellii is called by them the Bora, and is regarded as a very poisonous snake. As yet I have had no opportunity of trying any experiments with this snake. June 9tit, 1868. The
*
Owing
to
a
delay,
the
sketches
are
postponed.?Ei>.,
I.
M. O.
149
Tigrina (Bullfrog) on the inner side of the thigh, the integument having been previously raised. The snake was made to close his jaws on, and under the fangs in the muscle, retaining them there for some time. 3-36 p. m.?Apparently not about as usual.
affected; leg
not
paralysed
;
moves
3-55.?No very apparent change, except that the bitten ecchymosed ; rather sluggish.
thigh
is much
4-10.?Very sluggish; hardly moves when stirred; appears paralysed. 4-25.?Appears to be paralysed, so as to be nnable to move ; respiration goes on well. There are reflex movements when the hind legs are irritated. The legs are drawn up. almost
4-30.?Reflex movements have ceased.
4-45.?Dead, Body much swollen and distended with air. experiment proves that the frog is susceptible, though much less so than warm-blooded animals, to the action of the poison.
This
Experiment No. 3. A
full-grown,
active
Ptyas
Mucosus
(Dhamin)
was
bitten at
3-36 p. m. in the mouth by a powerful, vigorous, and fresh cobra. The snakes were made to close their jaws on each other. The snake remained unaffected, and on the 11th, at 2 p. m., was quite well.
There could be
deeply
inserted in this case.
no
doubt that the cobra's
fangs
were
Experiment No. 4. Elavescens (Gosamp) was bitten, at by a full-grown, fresh, and vigorous cobra of the variety, with one occellus, which the Natives of Bengal call Keowtie," in the mouth and in the thigh, the integument having been previously raised to ensure the penetraA
large
Yarannus
3-55 p. m., light colored
"
tion of the fangs and
insertion
of the venom.
leg dragged as though paralysed ; the bleeding from the cobra's bite. p. m.?Drags the leg ; is rather sluggish, but not much is
3-57.?The bitten mouth is 4-25
EXPERIMENTS ON THE ACTION OE THE COBRA POISON. Br J.
Fayrke, M.D., F.R.C.S.E., Surgeon, Bengal Army ; Professor of Surgery in College of Bengal.
the Medical ?
/
affected.
4-27.?Lies prone.
4-55.?Much the same.
the Yarannus
Experiment No. 1.
plunge
his
fangs
them there for some time. in the snake.
mouth, by closing
into the
exposed part,
and retain
It was then made to bite the cobra
under-jaw of the bitten placed in a large cage, symptoms of being affected
the jaws on the
The wounded snake was then
and watched.
It did not show any
was perfectly well, vigorous, and active on the 10th at 2 p..m.?At 2 p. m. of the 11th June, the bitten snake was well and active. This appears to be almost conclusive that the cobra is not affected by the poison secreted by another
by
the
cobra.
poison,
and
; can
and
be moved with
moves
with
difficulty.
After this the Varannus began to
dead in the cage.
he
appeared
better,
at 2 p. m., I found He was seen alive about
noon.
At 3-29 p. m. a full-grown, vigorous, and fresh cobra was made to bite a very powerful full-grown cobra of a black color. The scales were scraped off near the head, and the other snake made to
nearly paralysed,
improve, and at 2 p. m. the following day though still sluggish. On the 11th June,
Fourth series.
was
Is
great difficulty. 4-35.?Apparently paralysed
Experiment No. 5. At 4
p. m., half-grown fowl was inoculated in the muscular part of the thigh with four drops of cobra poison removed from the snake the day before. The poison was injected with the ordinary hypodermic The effect was almost a
syringe.
instantaneous. The fowl staggered when placed on the ground ; was in convulsions at 4-1, and was dead at 4-4. This experiment
would appear to show that the poison loses very little of its power, if any, by removal; and that its action depends much on the instrument with which it is injected. The hypodermic needle resembles the cobra's fang, and was almost as rapid in
inducing
the full effect of the
poison.
Experiment No. 6, At 4-7 p. m., a very large Rana Tigrina was injected with drops of the same poison, with the same instrument as that
ten
'
July 1,
ON FATTY DEGENERATION.?BY C. R. FRANCIS.
1868.]
The axilla and the abdominal wall were the
used for the fowl. selected
places
for
injection. 4-22.?Slightly convulsed, and then partially paralysed. 4-30.?Almost motionless; respiratory movements still
apparent. 4-35.?Dead. 4-20.?He
is
to be
beginning
sluggish,
but is very
slightly
affected. This
experiment points
poison
on
to the difference of the effect of the
cold and warm-blooded animals.
the amount of the it took seven times
poison as long
"With three times
fowl,
used in the case of the
as
was
to
kill the
frog.
Experiment No. 7.
One drop of carbolic acid
was
to move or
full-grown,
administered to a
vigorous cobra at 4-14 p. m. In two convulsions, and powerless to strike, 4-34.?Still struggling ; convulsed
minutes or ;
even
the snake was in erect his hood.
mouth open, but unable
strike.
gradually been recovering ; looks still very weak, and the head trembles, and can be raised with difficulty. At 2 p. m. the following day the snake had recovered, but still 4-45.?Has
seemed weak, and unable to dilate his hood perfectly. A smaller cobra to which the same quantity, one
administered,
drop,
"was
died in less than five minutes. Experiment No. 8.
Two
drops of carbolic acid were administered to a large frog, Rana Tigrina, at 4-15 p. m. 4-20 p. m.?Apparently not affected. 4-22.?Began to be sluggish. 4-24.?Very sluggish ; reflex movements when the hind legs irritated. 4-30.?No reflex movement j lies almost
are
paralysed
;
respiratory
movements ging on slowly. 4-40.?Quite dead. When
dead,
the
body
became
quite collapsed
?whilst the frog killed by cobra poison
was
and
pinched in,
much distended.
inoculating on this occasion had been day before. There was altogether about forty or fifty drops. It is a slightly viscid, somewhat opalescent fluid ; clear when pressed out of the poison gland, but becoming slightly turbid afterwards, with a slightly acid reaction, and under the microscope presenting the appearance in the annexed sketch,* which I observed after very careful The
used for
poison
taken from three cobras the
examination. This poison used on the day after its abstraction had lost very little of its virulence ; for, when injected through the hypodermic needle, it caused death very rapidly. Where it has appeared to fail, the apparent failure has probably been due to the mode of insertion. The hypodermic syringe is very like the poison fang, and it appeared to inject the poison as
just
efficaciously. I may note that the experiments with cobras have been made with three varieties of the "Naga Tupudiana." They vary in color from black or prismatic dark-purple to a light brown or ash color. The snake-catchers describe three kinds : the Goomtm, marked on the hood with spectacles ; the Kcowtie, marked on the hood with one occellus, and the or the black cobra.
color;
generally
of
a
Kalasamp Bungarus Fasciatus they
light
call Sankni. The Daboia Russellii is called by them the Bora, and is regarded as a very poisonous snake. As yet I have had no opportunity of trying any experiments with this snake. June 9tit, 1868. The
*
Owing
to
a
delay,
the
sketches
are
postponed.?Ei>.,
I.
M. O.
149
