Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-17
Serpents and their Poison.
AxrlDorE FOR SNAKE BITES.

In the Englistulan of the 5th of August,
a very interesting series OF experiments
undertaken By DR.. Fayrer. of Calcutta, was
published. They seem to have been car
rled on with the greatest care; and were
valuable, both from the variety OF antldote
which came under consideration, and also
from the fact of their being conducted by
professional men alone. who were, conse-
auently, well qualified to administer the
remedies to the greatest advantage. A
fowl was bitten by cobra, mot fresh
ore. and which had bitten before.) 1t died
in seven minutes, although treated with
fifteen drops of strong Condy's solution
injected by hypodermic syringe.
A dog was then bitten by a cobra under
sirrilv circumstances. In seventeen and
half minutes he fell over. Sixty drops of
lia. ammonia, sp. gr. .959, were injected
into the crural vein. No Improvements was
apparent. Forty drops more were injected
after the lapse of ten minutes. In twenty
five ninutS the dog was dead,
The exlfuat jugdiar velf of dog wsts
exposed iorty drops of the iq- potas
permangankte tCondy's) were injected Al
ter thirteen minutes had elapsed he was
bitten by large cobra mot fresh. and
which had bitten before, and had been
some time in captivity In one minute
the bitten .eg was partially paralyzed- In
two minutes be lay down. After four
minutes for:y more drops OF the same mud
we're 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.
4 dogs.external jugular vein was ex-
posed. Four drops of the poison OF a
somewhat weakly cobra were injected One
drop may have been lost; the remaining
three entered the system. The dog wa
treated with sixty drops of ammonia, IN
iected into the jugular vein. No amend
ment ensued, and the dog died in hfty-hv'
minutes.
! The jugular vein of a dog was exposed
He was then bitten in the thigh by
fresh cobra. In one minute symptoms o
distress were visible. Within six minutes
of the infection of the wound be was treat
ed with a solution of quinine sixty drop
were injected of a strength of one grain II
eight drops. No amendment occurred. Il
eleven minutes the dog was dead.
Equal parts of cobra poison and ilq
ammonia, sp. gr. .959, were mixed togeth
er, and fifteen drops of the mixed hul
were injected with the hypodermic syring
into pigeons thigh. The pigeon died
two minutes. This is very unfavorabie
the theory of the antidotal action of lie
ammonia.
! Ten drops of fresh cobra poison wei
5 injected into the jugular vein OF ful
$ grown dog. Within one minute sixty drol
: Of ammonia were injected but the actlo
of the poison was so rapid that the DC
e died almost before the second injectio
, could be completed. In seventy SECOND
: he was dead This shows the frightt'
g viraleur-,s& the poison when administers
g in large blood-vessel in large quantit'e
d DIR. Fayrer here observes: " How can SUI
e a death be explained, except by exhausti'
, of the nerve centers? Any theory OF bloc
: change is surely totally inapplicable her
4 A pariah dog was bitten in the forearm
5 a cobra. A ligature, which had been pI
ot viously placed loosely above the part b
ne ten, was Immediately tighteneG, and t
20 actual cautery OF the wound was perloi Ia
q by piece of pointed steel heated to
3 heat. In ten minutes the dog becal
n restless and staggered. Ammonia was
sv iected into the jugular vein The syn
to toms became aggravated, and death ensr
er in forty-ttfee minutes in spite OF the ca
rd full application of the ligature.
rd A second dog, smaller than the first.
ng bitten. andreceived similar treatment, "
m m the exception of the application of ami
ut. MIA. He sied in thirty-6ve minutes.
ny cobra which had already caused the de
&c of the former of these two dogs was m
lict TO bite seven fowls and one pigeon in az
TED successiont OF these seven died, and
o. =. eighth, Though showing symptoms of
for fering evestually recovered 1t is cur
lily 10 notice e gradually diminishing
ing lence of She poison on each succes
y of occasion. The first fowl died in {
5 he minutes, sse second in ten, the thir
ror' eleven. t5s fourth "a very large one
,;o, seyenteens the fifth in twenty-five,
nUd ] nipeon insprty-two, the sixth fowl in f
the nine minuAs.