The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-29

poison This gland il constantly secresing
the poison. WITH a small supply for lruns-
cs7te Use. Hence 4 the tube connecting
the gland to the base of the fang were
Kept open. the gsasson would he constantly
running ous into tae mouth Of the cobra
AID thus wastaG % no purpose. To prevent
this a circular muscle binds the tube some
whore about the middle. But when the
coera strikes It's prey this muscle Is re-
taxed ard another one zqusszes the poison
bag ard thus intecls the poison.
Buf let Us describe the whole process of
ssrsk5uz, and res what the cobra does when
ns means mischief He expands ais head
and rears al least third Of his length IN
sst air, wsth the rest OF his body coIIed ia
sns form Ut q spiral This spiral form gives
I'm sufficient anchorage 20 rear his body
by sheer muscular effort, ard also the nee
essary leverage in dealing the bI1w. His
eyes giisten Ike Sossisks. his f3rksd tongue
darts IN and oss with a low Kissing sound.
Suddenly he throws hack his head In Low
curve. and as swiftly darts forward 10 his
victim. partly as plunge ard nartiy as
spE.ng. unfolding pcrtion Of his coll 20
increase his range. l. locks as II the COBRA
epTang into the air. but matter OF fact
his belly usually touches the ground az the
moment % striking. IN order 70 afford him
sufficient leverage 70 sr9be6 his fangs nrm-
~ In the body Of the victim.
The acton is magnificent, ard yet swift
rs a lightning fash. The tongue 10 with
drawn, the mouth wide open. The fanss
fasi on the victim stab, the lower Jaw
closing n hensath a bite. IL ire blow
has been fair ard square two small pune
lures are made IN the flesh Of the victim
by ;hs two fangs. otherwise, IL the blow
has been one-sidcd. there VIII be only one
Now. the mere striking Of the blow Is
mo- enough. and II the cobra were IN
simultaneously TO withdraw fhe fangs after
dealing the blow his prey would suffer no
worse effect than the pain OF those needle
Ike punctures. II is stili necessary 10 in
Ject the poison. In certain cases. Indeed
by a strong muscular action, the poison
has been injected almost simultaneously
With the blow: nay. in a case where the
Cobra weS Unfortunately reused 10 fury. the
poison was shot out by strong muscular
effort while the cobra was still in the act
OF plung!ng-aBd in this case the would
be victim who was really out OF range.
escaped the blow, but had the poison
sqgirted ali over him. Still. however. in
most cases the poison is injected after the
blow--;hough II be but half second alter
That half a second has saved many a life
for insta ncH, whore the blow. not being
struck fun in the body, but only on the
sdge Of 1t, the cobra slipped OF the body
b the mere impetus OF the blow, causing
the fanes 10 scratch along the skin in
two thin lines.
Assuming, however. that the blow has
been struck fun on the body OF the victim
The cobra Immediately after the blow q. q.
as soon as he has partially recovered from
his own impetus. which Is In about sec
right or 20 the left This act OF turning
helps 10 squeeze he poison gland situated
en- that side to which the cobra has turn
ed and thus 10 inject the poison over the
cobra has time to turn both ways, then
The poison Is deposited on both wounds
and the condition OF the victim Is doubly
desperately After this discharge the cobra
usually drops off the limb in an liner, mass
a.. II considerably, though temporarily,
weakened by the loss of the precious fluid.
There may. OF course. be sufficient secre-
ton still left In the bag TO give second
bite Immediately after, but In that case
the wound may not necessarily be fatal.
II usually takes few hours, sometimes
days. TO accumulate the fun supply again.
There was, however. one case within The
writer's knowledge where three small chill
! dren were successfully bitten by a large
cobra. and all three died in consequence.
But to resume. 1t win, therefore, be ap-
parent that ID the fangs are employed
merely 10 cause the wound or wounds g.
to open up communication with the blood
or a victim; and ~ the poison deposited
on the wound mixes with the blood and
eventually causes death, as will be men,
toned later on. Hence il will be noted that
IL the poison Is not able 10 enter the wound
there Is no danger. In other words, II the
cobra bites a person. not on the naked skin,
the fangs will go through right enough,
hut the poison viii he deposited on the gar
ment and not on the wound In such a
case, IL the person bitten were 10 remove
nelghborhoDd OF the wound, before the
poison has had time To soak through 1t.
he II In no danger whatever
On the other hand. II there Is already
wound or sore on the body, then even a
blow from n fangless cobra Will be fatal
Snake charmers are well aware or this
fact. and are particularly careful on such
occasions as the following: A band of
these men were exhibiting before the writ
er. when. after few odd feats they pro-
ceeded 10 show graphically how a cobra
strikes its prey. They produced magni-
fceut specimen. fully five feet In length.
and as thick as ones wrst-though or
course fangless. one OF the men struck
up a monotonous tune on a wind instru-
ment something Ike Highland bagpipe.
The cobra Immediately reared its head full
swaying its body gracefully In time with
the music in evident pleasure. Then one
OF the other men took off his tunic and
stood naked to the waist. His barred hack
was carefully examined to see that there
not much as Il scratch on Il. He
knelt down about two feet in front of the
cobra and waited.
Suddenly. at given signal, the music
betng the nearest-bu; almost smuitane-
ously with the stoprage Of the music tie
man dropped his head on his knees ana
received the blow or his barred back The
cobra paused Just one second after strik-
ting. and then turned on SIS head and fen
of. There was huge drop 81 poison on
the back % the performer, He wired IL
eeeded with the rest ~ the cerforma nee.
AN ODD TELEGRAPH