The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-03 00:00:00

ANTIDOTES FOR SNAKE POISON.

The Daily News says that the announcement,
trade a short while ago, that the Maharajah of Travancore
had offered a prize of 1,000 rupees, which was subsequently
augmented by the Prince Raina to 1,750—in round
numbers, £l5O--for the discovery of a certain antidote
to the poison of the cobra, has stimulated many
recent experimenters to investigate the action of
make poisons in general upon man and- animals.
the discovery of an antidote is a matter of extreme
moment as regards India, when we consider the number
of natives who fall victims every year to snake-bite in-
fixted especially by the cobra di ca.pello, the " hooded " or
" spectacled " snake of Southern India. There are 2,108
'eaths actually known to occur on an average each year
from this cause in India, in the Punjab, and Oudh, The
pally News relates the results of some experiments by Dr.
';hort. He discovered (to make a long story short) that
all the native antidotes were failures ; that their legends as
to the mangooso being unsusceptible to the cobra bite
were groundless ; that their herbs were of non-effect ; and
that the " snake stone " was a delusion and a snare.
Other antidotes have been suggested, not only
in India but elsewhere, without number, but
none have been proved to be of any use. The one
which seems to have made most impression on
the public mind is that suggested by Professor Halford, of
Melbourne, viz., to inject ammonia into the blood ; but
one of the cases of Dr. Halford, in which this seemed to
act beneficially, is open to criticism in several points. In
the first place, his patient was bitten by an alarm.
rently dead snake ; and it is well known that the venom
of snakes which are exhausted or weakly loses much of
g.ts virulency. Then the professor was not called to
the case till the man had probably been treated !,),
stimulants, which are known to be very useful.
However, the injection of ammonia into the veins of
dogs bitten by poisonous snakes has seemed to act
s ttisfactorily. It is important that we should
understand the degree to which the brown snake of Aus-
f.ralia, which is the reptile which has bitten Dr. Halford's
patients, is poisonous. We know that cobra bites are fatal
as yet, and it would be well to test the ammonia plan
upon that snake. And it must also be noticed that the
means of cure recommended by Professor Halford are not
such as could be kept in readiness for general use. What \
is needed is a specific that everybody can use at a

moment's notice, especially in the case of cobra
bites in India. The free use of strong stimulants
has appeared to act effectually, in connection espe-
cially with sustained exercise. An interesting case is
recorded by the late Dr. Spilsbury, of Calcutta. His
servant was bitten by a cobra. Dr. Spilsbury at once:
ordered out his buggy, tied the man's arms to the back of
is, and this being done he took the reins and drove at a
fair pace for some miles, the man running behind. The
result was that the bitten individual at the end of the
journey was profusely perspiring, and much exhausted.
Strong doses were then given, and the man was still kept
at gentle exercise. Recovery followed. It is thought
that by the means employed the action of the
heart, which is paralysed by the poison, is kept
going by the forced. exertion, as Dr. Hood styles it, whilst
the skin sweats out the poison from the body. The bene-
ficial effects of alcoholic stimulants, such as whisky,
administered in very large doses, have been constantly
shewn in America, in the case of bites by rattlesnakes.
All the attempts which have been made to discover a
specific antidote are to be highly commended. They have
clone something already, but we must wait yet longer in
patience till science shall disclose the secret we so much
desire.