Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-03-17
Rats and ReptileS.
From DR.. Buckland's CuriosiIies of Nat. His.'l
DR.. BUckLAND POISONED BY A COBRA

Rats and Reptiles.
from Dr. Buckland's Curiosilies of Nat. His.I
DR.. BUckLAND POISONED BY COBRA.
About four years ago, /, myself
in prison, had painful experience
of the awful effects of snakes poi
son. | have received dose of the cobras'
poison into my Systematically minute
dose or should not have survived it. The
accident happened in a very curious way.
was poisoned by the snake, but not bitten
by him. got the poison secondhand
Anxious to witness the effects of the poison
of the cobra upon rat, took up couple
in a bag, alive, to certain cobra. took
one rat out of the bag and put him into the
cage with the snake. The cobra was coil
ed up among the stones in the center of the
cage, apparently asleep. When he heard
the noise of the rat ia ling into the cage, he
just looked up and put out his tongue, hiss
ing at the same time. The raj got in
corner and began washing h -mself keeping
one eye on the snake, whose appearance he
evidently did not half like. Presently the
rat ran across the snakes body, and in an
instant the latter assumed his fighting atti-
tnde. .--.-~
As the raj passed the snake, be made a
dart, but, Kissing his aim, hit his nose a
pretty hard bow against the side If the
cage. This accident see med to anger him,
r he spread out his crest and waved it to
am Iro in the beauti iul manner peculiar to
his kind. The rat became alarmed, and
ran near him again. Again cobra made
dari and bit him, but cid not, think, inject
any poispn into him, the rat being so very
active; at least no symptoms OF poisoning
were shown. The bite, nevertheless.
aroused the ire of the ra, for he gathered
himself for spring, and measuring his dis
lance. errang right on the neck of the cob
"a, who was waving about in front of him.
This piucky rat determined to die hard
gave the cobra two OF. three severe bites in
the neck. the snake keeping his body erect
all this time, and endeavoring to turn his
head RI und 30 as TO bite the rat, who was
clingiBg on like the o.d man in Sinbsd the
Sailor. Soon, however, cobra changed his
tactics. Tired, possibly, with sustaining
the weight of the rat, he lowered his head,
and the rat, finding himsef egain- -e~4e--s-
:frn1a. tried to run sway; not so, for The
snake, collecting all his force, brought dCwn
his erected poison :angs, making his head
tell by its weight in giving vigor to the
blow, right on TO the body of the rat. This
poor beast now seemed to know that the
6pht was over, and that he was conquered.
He retired to corner Of the cage, and be.
gan painting violently, endeavoring, at the
same time, TO steady his failing strength
with his feet. His eyes were wildly dilated,
and bis mouth. open, as if gasping for
breath The cobra stood erect over him
kissing and pitIing ont his tongue, as il
conscious of victory. In about three min
utes the rat fell quietly on his side aud ex-
pired. The cobra then moved off and took
no further notice of his defunct enemy
About zen minutes afterwards the rat was
hooked out Of the cage for me to examine
No external wound could zee anywh ere
SO took out my knife and began taking
the skin of the rat. soon discovered two
yeIy minute punctures, Ike small needle.
holes, in the side of the rat, where the
fangs of the snake had en:ered. The part:
between the skin and the ie=h.and the fesf
Itself appeared as though affected will
modification, even though the wound haC
not been inflicted above a quarter of al
hour, il so much.
= Anxious tc see If the skin was affected,
scrspej away the parts on it with my fnge
nail. Finding nothing but the punctIres,
threw the rat away and put the kufe an
skin in my pocket, and started to 60 away
/ had not walked q hundred yards before
all of sudden. felt just as if somebod
had come behind me, and struck me sever
blow on the head and neck, and the sam
time | experienced most acute pain an
sense ef oppression at the CT est, as thong
a hot iron had been run 10 and hundre
weight put on top OF it. knew Instant.
from what had read, that wac poisoned
leaid as much to my friend, a most INTEL
gent gentleman, who happened TO be wit
me, and told him if | fell, to give me brand
andeau de luce, which words he kept repea
ing in case be might forge. them. At II
seme time enjoined him to keep me goin
and not, on any account, to allow me to ]
down. then forgot everything for sever
minutes, and my friend tells me | roll'
atout as il very faint and weak. He al
informs me taat,the FIRST thing | did was
fall against him, asking if looked seed
lie most wisely answered, "No; you lot
very we'll" don't think he thought SO, +
his own face was as white as ghost; II
collect this much, He tells me my face VI
of a greenish color. After walking
rather staggering along for some minutes,
gradually recovered my senses, and steer
for the nearest chemists shop. Rushing