Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-08-11
SERPENTS AND THEIR POISON.
AntidOte for snake Bites.
From Good Health.

From Good Health
In the Englishman for the 9Th of August,
q very interesting series of experiments,
undertaken by DR.. Fayrer, of Calcutta, was
published They seem to have been car
RED on with the greatest care; and were
valuable, both from the variety of antidote
which came under consideration, and also
from the fact of their being conducted by
professional men alone, who were, conse-
ouentlv, we'll qualified to administer the
rem edies to the greatest advantage. A fowl
was bitten by cobra mot fresh one, and
which b ad bitten betore), Itdled in seven
minutes, although treated with ID drops
of strong "Condy's solution, injected by
hypodermic syringe.
4 dog was then bitten by cobra under
similar circumstances. In seventeen and
half minutes he fell over. Sixty drops
of la. ammonia, sp. or. $685. were injected
into the crural vein. No improvement was
apparent. Forty drops more were inject
ed after the lapse of ten minutes. In
twenty-five minutes the dog was dead.
Tie external juglar vein OF dog was
exposed; forty drops of the liz. potas. per-
manganate (Condy's) were injected. After
thirteen minutes had elapsed he was bit
ten by a large cobra mot fresh, and which
had bitten before, and had been some
time in captivity in one minute the bit
ten leg was partially paraiyzed. In two
minutes he lay down. After four minutes
forty more drops of the same fluid were
injected; no improvement effected. After
twenty-four minutes forty more drops were
administered; still there was no change
for the better. In thirty-seven minutes
the dog was dead.
A dogs external jngular vein was expos
cd. Four drops OF the poison of some
what weakly cobra were injected. One
drop may have been lost; the remaining
three entered the system. The dog was
treated with sixty drops of ammonia, in
iected into the jugIlar vein. No amend
ment ensued, and the dog died il fiity-fve
minutes.
The iugular vein of dog was exposed.
He was then bitten in the thigh by fresh
cobra. In one minute symptoms OF dis
tress were visible. Within six minutes Of
the infection of the wound he was treated
with solution of quinine; sixty drops were
injected of strength of one grain IN eight
drops. No amendment occurred. In
eleven minutes the dog was dead.
EQUAL parts of cobra poison and liz. am
monia, SO. or. .959, were mixed together,
and fifteen drops of the mixed fluid were
injected with the hypodermic syringe into
a pigeons thigh. The pigeon died in two
minutes. This is very untayorable to the
theory of the antidotal action OF liz, am
monia,
Ten drops of fresh cobra poison were in
iected into the jugular VEIN OF a tull.gIown
dog. Within one minute sixty drops OF am
monia we're injected; but the action OF the
poison was so rapid that the dog died al
most before the second injection could be
completed. In seventy seconds he was
dead. This shows the frightiul virulenct
8 of the poison when administered in large
} quantities. DR.. Fayrer, here observes
2 "How can such death be explained, ex
cept by exhaustion OF the nerve centres
; Any theory of blood changs Is surely totally
inapplcable here
A pariah dog was bitten in the forearm
e by cobra. 4 ligature, which had beer
previously placed loosely above the par
. bitten, was Immediately frightened, and tnt
: actual cautery of the wound was performed
: bv piece of pointed steel heated to rec
heat. In ten minutes the dog became rest
less and staggered. Ammonia was INJECT
b ed into the jugular VEIN The symptoms
/ became aggravated, and death ensued il
43 minutes IN spite OF the careful appica
ton OF the ligature.
f 4 second dog, smaller thar the first, wal
bitten, and received similar treatment witt
! the exception of the application of the am
{ M onia. He died in 50 minutes. The cobri
t VIII ich had already caused the death OF til,
: former OF these two dogs was made to blt'
d seven fowls and one pigeon in quick sue
= cession. 0fthese seven died and the eight
= though showing symptoms of suffering
eventually recovered. 1t is curious (
/ notice the gradually diminishing yirulenct
!. of the poison on each successive occasion
o The first fowl died in three minutes, th'
e second in ten, the third in eleven, thu
!. fourth IA very large onel in seventeen, thu
: fifth in twenty-five, the pigeon IN forty
= two, the sixth fowl in torty-nine minutes.
a DR.. Fayrer remarks "Ihe cobra wa
4 neither very large nor a very vlgorou.
. one. and yet how deadly Eight creature
/ DESTROYED by rapid succession OF bites
3 The experiment proves that the snake be
. comes weaker by biting, until ho become
Il exhausted.