The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1859-03-11
Rats aud neptiles.
DIR. BucKLAND POISONED ny A CORR

Al nave received u OOSc OF tne COBRA
poison into my Extraordinarily Q
minute dose, or ! should not have
, survived it. The accident happened
in very curious way. | was poi
soned by the snake, but not bitten by
him. Igot the poison second hand
4 Anxious TO witness the effects ofthe
poison Of the cobra upon rat,
took up a couple in a bag, alive, to Il
, certain cobra. / took one rat out oI
the bag and put him into the cage
with the snake. The cobra was coil.
ed up among the stones in the cen
ter OF the cage, apparently asleep
When he heard the noise of the ra,
falling into the cage, he just looked
mp and put out his tongue, Kissing al
tho same time. The rat got in a
corner and began washing himself.
keeping one eye on the snake. whose
appearance he evidently did not hall
like. PI sently the rat ran across
the shakes body, and in an instant
the latter assumed his fighting atti
tudc.
As the rat passed the snake. the
latter made a uart, but, missing his
aim, hit his nose apr tty hard blow
against the side OF the cage. This
accident seemed to an. er him, for he
spread out his crest and waved it to
and fro in the beautiful manner pc
culiar to his kind The rat became
alarmed. and ran near him again -
Again the cobra made n Hart and bit
him, hut did not. | think, inject any
poison into him, the rat being so very
active; at leBst no symptoms OF poi
soning were shown. The bite, new.
er,hcless, aroused the ire of the rat
FOR nc gathered himself for = spring,
and measuring his distance, sprang
right on to the neck of the cobra.
who was waving about in front OF
him. This plucky rat, determined
to die hard, gave the cobra two or
three severe bites in the neck, the
snake keeping his body erect all his
'iIne and cndcuvoriug to turn his
head round 80 AS 10 bite the rat, who
was clinging on like the old man in
Sinbad the Sailor. Soon, however,
cobra changed his tactics. Tired q,
possibly, with sustaining the weight
OF the rat, he lowered his head, aud
The rat finding himself again on ter
IA .f,ma. tried to runaway; not SO,
tor the snake collecting all his force.
brought down his erected poison
laugs, 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 fight was over, and that be was
conquered. lie retired 60 n corner
Of the cage, and began painting vio-
Iently, eudcayoring at the same time
to steady his falling strength with
his feet. His eyes were widely di.
lated, aud his mouth open, rs il
gasping iol breath. The cobra stood
erect over him, Kissing and putting
ont his tongue, AS il conscious OF vic
tory. In about three minutes the
rat tell qni i-ty on hie side and ex.
pired. The cobra then moved of
and took no further notice OF his de-
funct enemy. About ten minutes
afterwards the rat was hooked out
OF the cage for me to examine. NJ
, external wound could | see any
! where, 81 ! took out my knife and
began taking the skin oil the rat.
+ soon discovered two very minut,
; punctures, like small needle,h h )les
i in the side Of the rat, where thC
fangs of the snake had entered. -
The parts between the skin and the
, flesh, and the flesh itself appeared al
though affected with modification
even though the wound had not beer
inflicted above a quarter OF an hour
II 50 much.
Anxious to see il the skin itsel
9 was affected, | scraped away tn,
n parts on it with my finger nail
q Finding nothing but the punctures,
:; threw the rat away and put the knit
G and skin in my pocket, and starte'
- to go away. had not walked on
Il hundred yards before, all OF sud
!. den, felt just as if somebody ha
d come behind me and struck me se
n verc-blow on the head and neck. an
e. at tho same time | experienced
ID most accute pain and sense OF OF
preston at the chest, as though
, hot iron had been run in and hun
dred weight put on top OF it. lkne'
ss instantly, from what had read thu
'eI | was poisoned; | said as much
my friend, a most intelligent gentle
re man, who happened to be with M
,ir and told him if | fell, to give II
,S rS brandy and eam de luce, which wore
NJ he kept repeating in case he mig
- forget them. At the same time
IN IN enjoined him to keep me going al
90 not, on any account, to allow me
lie down. then forgot evcrythil
- Tor several minutes, and my fr!el
tells me rolled about as if We
faint and weak. He also inform
Y mo that the first thing ! did was
fall against him, asking il | look
seedy. He most wisely answere
@ 20, mo; you look very we'll" l dor
IN IN. think he thought so, for his own fa
to to was as white as a aghost; recolle
t0' | this much. He tells me my face W
Of a greenish-yellow color. AT,
walking or rather staggering alo
put c,r some minutes, gradually reco