November 2,
1868.]
THE INFLUENCE OF SNAICE-POISON.?BY J. FATHER. death
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. \
.
/
EXPERIMENTS ON THE INFLUENCE OF SNAKEPOISON.
By
(Continued ) J. Fayree, M.D.,
Professor of Surgery,
Medical
College of Bengal.
indebted to Messrs. Greenhill September 11 tli, 1868.?I Rutherford, Veterinary Surgeons, for the opportunity of making the following experiments. The horses experimented on had been condemned to be destroyed for the disease, partial paraplegia (gone in the loins), and were placed at my disposal by the above gentlemen, for whose valuable aid in noting the symptoms and recording the pathological conditions I am under much obligation. The disease, though incapacitating near the head. It was convulsed and powerless at 1-36. At 1-40 muscular tetanic twitchings. A large Cobra
was
the solution of
1-42.?Dead.
experiment shows that a poison is rapidly effective in the snake when inoculated into the circulation.
was
seconds.
This experiment shews the terribly deadly- nature of the Daboia's poison. Experiment No. 11. A Cobra
poison
was
; the
at 1 p.m. witli fifteen drops of his inserted about 8 inches from the
injected syringe
was
The
Daboia is
naturally
-when it strikes with
At 2-2 p.m. and 5 p.m. not affected ;
very
sluggish,
and not
as
vicious and active
At 10 a.m. of 27th September still unaffected. 30th September, noon.?Still unaffected.
October.?Still quite
Present :?Dr.
aggressive, unless
great rapidity and deadly precision.
W. Blanford tells me of an instance where a Daboia was carried home by a gentleman who thought he had got a young Python. It did him no injury, and he only became aware of the danger he had escaped by the snake striking at and killing a dog that approached too near it. ilr.
The Cobra inoculated was of the pale, variety, with a single occellus on the hood. It was very active and vicious, the most so of any I have It was sent to me a short time ago by the Police authorseen. ities ; having been captured after biting a native lad in a boat, who died, it is said, within an hour after being bitten. inches from the head.
yellowish-coloured
2nd
Ten minutes after there was no effect. At 5 p.m. the snake was still unaffected *
A Cobra was injected with about 15 drops of the poison of another fresh and vigorous Cobra at 1-43 p.m. The poison was carefully injected with the hypodermic syringe about eight
as ever.
head.
irritated,
Experiment No. 14.
shews that the snake was much exhausted
Experiment No. 10.
oion
by
mixture with water.
This
placed near a fresh Daboia,* free on the ground. The snake, on beiug irritated, struck the fowl somewhere about the neck at 12-49. It fell into convulsions immediately, and was dead at 12-49-45, that is, it was completely dead in 45 A fowl
coagulated firmly Partridge and
Professor
excepting that seme of the red ones were shrivelled. The quantity of poison used was only 5 drops, and that was mixed with water. It was injected at 1-7-45 p.m. ; the cat
12-44-15.?Dead. This
The blood
by
change from the normal structure could be corpuscles, red and white, were unchanged,
bitten the Cobra.
is
examined
but was unable to do so.
died at 3-5 p.m., rather less than two hours. It is evident from this that the poison does not suffer
Experiment No. 9.
slight
reports after this."] side, with hind leg extended ; profuse mouth, and symptoms of nausea. Fre-
3.?Attempted to get up again, 3-5.?Died, slightly convulsed.
punctured leg.
12-47.?Walks about, but is drowsy. 1-24
Sceva
its
on
2-20.?Lying
Experiment No. 8. A
243
well.
Fayrer
and Mr. Sceva.
Experiment No. 15. 28th September.?At 1-17 p.m., a fowl, half-grown, was bitten in the thigh by a Daboia j convulsed immediately, and dead in 35 seconds. Blood drawn from the heart of the fowl in experiment
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
244 .Experiment
No. 1G.
Experiment No. 21.
into
5i-> injected (two hypodermic syringefuls), thigh of another half-grown fowl at 1-22 p.m. 7-15.?No effect of the poison perceptible as yet. 29Hi September, 6 a.m.?Crouching; profoundly drowsy. Head resting on beak ; falls over as if the bird had gone off into a sound sleep ; starts up and falls over again, like a creature that cannot keep awake. In this state it remained, got more drowsy, and died at about
No. 15
the
2-40 p.m. Experiment No. 17.
September.?At 2-50 p.m. a half-grown chicken was injected in the thigh with ten drops of the blood of the chicken of experiment No. 16. 30th September, 2 p.m.?Appears to bo slightly affected; feathers ruffled ; tail depressed ; not so active as it was. 2nd October.?It recovered, having been only very slightly 29th
affected. Experiment No. 18.
September.?A half-grown fowl was bitten in the thigh by a very vicious and active Cobra (one that had -killed a child, and was itself the subject of experiment on the 26th). The fowl became convulsed immediately, and was quite dead in about 34 seconds. The muscles generally and heart were found to be without any irritability in a few minutes after death. The blood coagulated firmly. 28th
at 12-15 a.m.
Experiment No. 19.
syringefuls
Two
of the blood
of the fowl in
into the thigh of a fowl at 12-25 a.m., 28th September. 12-27.?It seemed much excited ; this
No. 18
were
injected
experiment
full-grown
and strong
passed off,
and at 1-26
it p.m. it seemed very little affected, except that 2 p.m.?Appears drowsy.
was
purged.
are manifest; wings drooping. crouches, resting the point of the beak on the ground. 3.?Crouching on the ground; body inclined to one side. One leg partly extended, with wing extended over it. 3-30.?Lying down, with wings partially extended ; a small quantity of liquid running from the beak. Head lying on the ground ; nearly insensible.
2-30.?Effects of the poison
It
3-56.?Dead. Experiment No. 20.
September thigh
of
a
half-grown
At 7-15 p.m. no puncture in the leg.
by
drops of blood, taken from experiment No. 19, injected into the
28th.?About 25
the heart of the fowl of
chicken at 3-56 p.m.
change, except slight lameness
from the
September 29th.?No change ; no symptom of being affected the poison. September 30th, 2 p.m.?Eowl remains unaffected. 2nd October.?Eowl well. After
September 29th the chicken did not seem to be affected by the injection until October 5th, when it appeared passed the latter part of the day with its head parily under its wing. It lias eaten heartily during the time since September 29th, and appeared as lively as the other chickens that were kept in the room with it. It died on the following day, October 6th, and on examining the body it was found to be greatly emaciated. No trace of any other injury or disease, except the poisoning of the blood, could be discovered. in any way weak, and
1868.
[Noyembee 2,
September 2dth.?An Opliiopliagus Elaps, about 8 feet long, tlxat had been deprived of its fangs by tlie snake-men, was made to shed its poison by squeezing the jaws; a drop or two of
viscid fluid exuded.
clear, yellow,
Tliis, diluted with water, a
was
puncture
introduced with
inoculated into
was
first made with an
a
lancet,
a
fowl's
and the
thigh poison was
ordinary quill
Eor the first two
or
pen. three minutes no
apparent
effect
was
the bird walked about as usual. It then began to look uncomfortable ; stood still; seemed dazed ; sat down and soon crouched itself together; began to droop, to nod its head,
produced :
and rest its beak
on
the
ground.
This state of drowsiness gra-
it seemed to be profoundly sleepy, itself with a start, and falling off again into
dually increased; to
rouse
attempting a
profound
state of narcotism. At 12-30 it
was
almost unconscious, and could not rise on its
legs ; when roused, opened its eyes, made an attempt to raise the head, which fell over again. Its condition seemed to be in all-respects one of profound narcotism. 12-37.?A few convulsive movements only indicate life. 12-40.?Still a few convulsive movements and strctching of the neck.
12-46.?Dead. The wound much discolored and eccliymosed; emphysema of the areolar tissue about it. The blood clotted firmly after
death.
(half a syringeful, 15 thigh of another fowl. 30/7?- September, 2 p.m.?More than 24 hours and it is not affected ; cats heartily ; looks bright and active. The quantity of blood injected was very small. At
drops)
1-40 was
p
m.
injected
some
of the blood
into the
2nd October.?Quite well.
This, imperfect as it is, is the first opportunity I have had of experimenting with the poison of this snake; it is rare, and the snake-catchers have not been able to procure me a fresh and wild specimen. The snake experimented with has been for some time in the hands of the snake-catcher. The who brought it had borrowed it from a friend, and he unable to say how long it had been in captivity, or where it had been caught. This Opliiopliagus Elaps is the
man
was
largest poisonous colubrine snake, and a very formidable and terrible creature it is. In general form it resembles the Cobra, having the head and hood similarly shaped. Its fangs are like those of the Cobra, and its venom is said to be equally deadly in proportion to its size. It is very active and aggressive, has great power of turning itself in a short space on its own body, and when about to attack, assumes the same erect and menacing attitude as the Cobra. In color it differs from the Cobra, being of an olive-green and marked with triangular bars of white edged with black, which are very conspicuous on the hood and tail. The hood is proportionately not so large as in the Cobra, and there are other unimportant anatomical differences which I need not detail here. It attains to a great size, 12 feet or even more, and is therefore probably one of, if not the largest poisonous snakes known. There is only one species of the genus which has received its name from its habit of feeding on other snakes.
kind of
"
Superne olivaceo viridis, striis saggittalibus nigria Cinctus, abdomine glauco-nigro marmorato."?Cantor.
It is said to be very and aggressive (Dr. Cantor says "it is very fierce, and is always ready not only to attack, but to pursue when opposed") ; and stories are told? I know not if truly?that it has chased men for hours when disturbed in its native haunts. It has a variety of synonyms :
dangerous
Opliiopliagus Elaps (Bengalee
name
Sunkr
Choar).
Naja
November 2,
THE INFLUENCE OE SNAKE-POISON.?BY J. EAYKER.
1868.]
Bungarus. Naja Elaps. Naja Yittata. Hamadryas Opliiopliagus. Trimeresunis Opliiopliagus. Hamadryas Elaps. the synonyms given from different authorities by The first is the one by which it is generally recognized naturalists in the present day. It has a wide geographical
Such
are
Gunther.
by distribution,
and is found in
Bengal, though this province that
ascertained the localities in
I have not
yet
it most affects.
The snake-catchers say it is to be found in the Soonderbuns and other dense and secluded jungle, and that it is difficult and dangerous to capture. It is certainly found in Burainh and the Tenasserim Provinces and Assam.
Gunther speaks of three
varieties : the one experimented with, found in the Malayan Peninsula, Bengal, Peninsula of Southern India; another in the Phillipine Islands ; a third in Borneo. These
merely varieties, and
are
difference in color.
are
distinguished by
some
Gunther says, been found in every of the Indian Continent?in the Andaman Islands, Java,
part Sumatra, Borneo, Dumeril, in New
It
has,
and the
Phillipine Islands, and, according
to
Guinea. It inhabits hollow trees, and is sometimes found between their branches.
Its food,
as
its
name
implies,
consists of other snakes.
Present :?Dr. Fayrer and Mr. Sceva. October
2nd,
1868.?The
Ophiophagns Elaps,
mentioned in
appearance
as
the first occasion.
on
This, diluted with
equal quantity of water, was injected with the hypodermic syringe into a fowl's thigh at 12-30 a.m. The fowl was not immediately affected, and being carelessly placed near an open door, it made its escape into a drain, in which, as it did not emerge, I presume it died. The opportunity of watching the cffects of the poison was lost; but the experiment is interesting, as it shews that the poison is secreted although the poison fangs are removed, and it shews the rate at which it was secreted,about two drops in four days. The snake had not been fed, but on this occasion it was fed with a Passerita Mycterezans, (a green whipsnake) that was poisoned by7 a Cobra. Vide experiment No. 23. an
The snake-man
put the head of the dead snake into the Opliiopliagus' mouth ; it seemed delighted to have it, and proceeded to swallow it forthwith, gradually drawing it into its
gullet by alternate bones.
during
lateral movements of the lower maxillary The process of swallowing occupied about five minutes, which the Opliiopliagus moved slowly about with the
anterior
of his
part
bodyT
raised and his hood
distended,
the
Passerita hanging out of its mouth. The last few inches of the tail were swallowed more slowly than the rest. A second Passerita and its head
ejected
being
offered
shortly after,
was
declined,
from its mouth.
whip-snake, more than three feet long (Passerita Myeeterezans), was bitten by a Cobra, about ten inches from the A green at
12-37
a.m.
12-38, sluggish;
moves
less
actively; gapes, keeping
the
mouth wide open.
12-39.?Almost the side.
The
paralyzed
body
;
mouth
now
closed ; head
lying
on
is swollen where bitten.
At 1-43 it
active and vigorous, very rapid; though innocuous, snake killed in two minutes by the poison of the Cobra. was
a
sluggish
as
it lies
on
the floor.
bitten
was
head, by
from the
a
severely in the body, Daboia, one of those that have
its head,
about
a
been
foot some
time in confinement. At 1-47 it appeared to be affected ; was sluggish, and lay with its hood shrunken and its skin shrivelled. It is possible that in presenting it to the Daboia to be bitten it may have been squeezed, but it did not appear so. It remained in this and
sluggish state,
was
dead at 4-10 p.m.
Experiment No. 25. A Passerita
Mycterezans, (green whip-snake,) rather smaller than the former one, bitten in the body at 1-40 by a Daboia. At 1-45 p.m. almost powerless. It gradually became mora and more exhausted, gaped like the one bitten by the Cobra, was
dead at 2-2 p.m., was one
or
in 17 minutes.
of those
long
in
confinement,
and had no
doubt become exhausted. Experiment No. 26. A
large
black Cobra bitten in the
p.m., October At 2-20 no
about
2nd, at change.
October 3rd, G a.m.?No
a
body by a Daboia at 1-52 foot from the head.
change.
Experiment No. 27.
A full-grown Cobra bitten by a Daboia in the At 2-20 no change. Died at 10-30, October 4th.
body
at 2-4 p.m.
Experiment No. 28. A
half-grown
fowl
was
bitten in the
1-11 p.m. At 1-11-45 it
crouched, drooped dropped down. At 1-13 drooped its wings ; rested of its beak on the ground. 1-14.?Convulsed and dying.
its
thigh by
wings,
rose,
a
Cobra at
staggered,
and
1-15.?Dead.
on
its breast, with the
point
Died in four minutes.
not quite fresh ; it had bitten the Passerita, The Cobra and had itself been bitten by another Cobra before biting the was
fowl. Experiment No. 29. At 1-25 about four drops of the blood of the above fowl No. 28) were injected into the hind-quarters of a
caerulescens (musk-rat.)
At 1-35 eating a portion of the dead fowl, apparently not affected, unless it may be perhaps rather sluggish. At 5-30 a.m. of 3rd October the musk-rat found dead; to have been dead two or three hours ; no sign of any
appeared
but the syringe puncture in the thigh apparent. The evidence of experiments Nos. 1, 2, 3, 11,14, 26, goes to shew that the Cobra and the Daboia are not affected by each
injury,
other
peculiarly
by their own poison. experiments Nos. 24,27,
or
The
12-40.?Dead. Death
rather
1-16.?Appears
At 1-35 it appears in its natural state; raises expands the hood, and strikes when threatened.
(experiment
Experiment No. 23.
At
partially
exhausted by biting the Passerita, which it killed in two minutes.
sorex
head,
I should note that it had been
in four minutes.*
The Daboia
experiment No. 21, September 29tli, that had been deprived of its fangs, was made to shed its poison by squeezing the poison-glands; a drop or two only could be obtained, so much having been secreted in four days. It had the same
Experiment No. 24. At 12-48 p.m. a Cobra bit a Cobra in three places near the head. They were both vigorous, fresh, and full-grown. 1-10 p.m.?Appears rather sluggish. At 1-11 this bitten Cobra bit a fowl in the thigh ; it died
and
Experiment No. 22.
2 1-5
on
the other
that the Cobra succumbs to the Daboia. *
hand, would prove really be the
If such
Vide experiment No. 28,
THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
246 case, it is
probable
that any
one
poisonous
snake will affect
an-
other, and that consequently the Cobra would poison the Daboia. The subject is still, therefore, not set at rest, and more experiments
only
can
decide it.
There is abundant evidence to prove that the innocuous are rapidly affected by the venomous snakes, and that such is the case may be considered as decided, though, no doubt, the poison tells less rapidly or fatally on them than on warm-blooded
animals.
probably prove to bo still less active in the invertebut this has yet to be tried. That the venomous snakes themselves are affected by other poisons, is proved by t lie rapidity It will
brata,
they succumb to strychnia and carbolic acid. The weight of evidence, so far, would shew that the venomous snakes are, if not proof against, at least not readily affected by each others' poison. The matter, however, remains still suh judice.
with which
[November 2,
1SGS.