Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-11-12
FIGHTS WITH THE COBRA.
Evidence Of the Existence Of an Anti
dute to that Serpsnts Poison.


New York Sun Letter.
1t is generally admitted that the
mongoose, if bitten by a cobra, is as
certain to suffer death as any other
animal unless it finds for itself an an
.tidote very quickly. Numerous expe-
Arinnents have been tried in which the
mongoose, having been bitten, has run
off into a garden, and there certainly
are instances in which it has recover
ed. This has led medical men to
study the miracle" as it is termed
in the article that appeared in the.
Sun, credited to the London Daily
Telegraph.
Ithas long been acontroversy wheth-
er there is any real antidote to the
poison Of this venomous snake, be-
cause the discovery of an antidote
would be of immense Importance to
mankind. No less han between one
aud two thousand persons have died
annually in India alone from this
cause.
The mongoose has been usually Sc
lected for experiments because of its
known deadly enmity to snakes. 1t
has been supposed by many that the
mongoOse finds some root that acts as
an antidote. It's tractability enables
man to train it and make il a house,
hold pet, and close observation of its
habits has led many a young physician
to risk the life Of his favorite in such
encounters, and even to kill it after it
has recovered from the effects of the
poison in order to subject the contents
Of the subject to analysis. Unfortu-
nately it almost invariably happens
that the mongoose has had time to di-
gest its food completely before reap
pearing, so while the fact remains that
the little animal RECEIVERS from the
bite, the means of recovery remains a
mystery. Not long ago, in Cuttack, in
the province of 0rissa, in India, where
[ was q~uartered, a cobra was caught
alive in a trap, and, seconds having
been provided, the cobra and a mon
goose we're placed as principals on the
ground. The Imprisoned cobra was
lshaken out of his trap, and had barely
touched terra frma when, espying Its
adversary, it raised itself, with its
head thrown forward, about a foot and
a half from the ground, curying Its
head and expanding its hood until the
marks like spectacles over its eye:
we're clearly visible. The mOngoose
Immediately faced the cobra, and took
in the situation. For an instant
both watched one another. The
tongue of the serpent began to shoot
out, and the silence was broken only
by its Kissing BY degrees the mon
goose crept closer and closer to the
snake, as though enticing him tC
spring, measuring carefully the dis.
lance between them; meanwhile the
snake making feints as though to dart
When the corba became a little tired
aud thought the mOngOose was within
reach, he sprang forward. Quick az
lightning the mongoose drew back
and, as the snake recovered, jumped
and seized him by-his neck, not, how
ever, before the snake had driven hi
fangs into him in the act of beinI
collared. But the mongoose kept hi
grip until the snake was dead, in spit,
Of the struggle, and then he laid dowT
seemingly exhausted. Two puncture
we're found in his body, and for a shor
time he lay in a state of tOrpOr. III
then stole away into the garden
: tracked by a native servant, who wa
ordered to look after him and Sc
whittier he went. AS though jealou
of the secret he possessed, the mon
goose ate nothing, and at night go
aWay under cover Of darkness. A
search proved ~unayailing; it wa
feared that he was either lost or dead
Three days later, however, he turne.
up gay and well.
This experiment was followed by
, second in Berhampur the combatant
being confined to a. walled inclosul
without any vegetation therein. Agai
the mongoose killed the cobra, but b
suffered more severely in the fgh
-Four punctures were found in h
+, body. and he lay for nearly half a
hour after the death OF the snake in
: state of torpor Then he began
{ rahabout TO find an outlet from theil
closure. Food and water were left Fl
,ilim, bat he did not touch them, az
on the following morning was four
E dead With HIS nose and half his bol
buried in the ground, as though di
ging for the roots he required for b
rusa