The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-05-26
THE COBRA'S FANGS.
PROOF THAT THEY ARE NOT IN
THEMSELVES POI ONOUS.

How the Reptile Strikes and the Effect
of the BIow-Action Is Magnificent and
Swift a Lightning Flash-Attack Is
Usually Fatal.
Now, the so-called poisonous fangs
are not in themselves poiSonouS-that
is, they are not coated with poison;
nor even have they a capillary tube run
ming inside along their lengths, through
which the cobra iniects the poison in
To The wound If that were the case,
the cobra could not seize its food with
ont injecting il with the poison The
real fact is there liz a fine tube running
from The base of each of the two fangs
backward under the eye to an almond
shaped gland or bag, which contains
The poison. This gland is constantly
Sccrcting the poison. with small sup
ply Tor immediate use. Hence, if the
tube connecting the gland 10 the base
of the fang We're kept open. the poison
would he constantly running out into
the mouth of the cobra. and thus vast
ed 10 no purpose. To prevent this
circular muscle bands the tube some
where about the middle But when
v.
is relaxed. and another one SuuccZcS
the poison bag. and thus injccts the
poison.
But let MS describe the whole pro
cess of striking. and see what thc
cobra does when he means mischief.
He expands his head and rrnrS nj
least Il third of his length in the air.
with the rest of tie body coilcd in the
form of a spiral, This spiral form
! gives him sufficient anchorage to rear
his body 10y sheer muscular effect and
also tho necessary leverage in dealing
the blow His "yas glistcn like ahel-
iSkS his forkcd tongue darts in and
out with a low. kissing sound. Sud
denly he throws back his head in n low
curve. and rs swiftly darts forward
| to his victim. parSly as plunge and
partly as n spring. unfolding II portion
of his coil tn increase his range 1t
looks as if the cobra sprang into the
air. but, as a matter of fact, his belly
usually touches The ground nj the mo-
mcnt of striking, in order to afford
him sufficient leverage to imbcd his
/ fangS firmly in the body of the victim.
The action is magnificent. and yet
swift as Il lightning flash The tongue
is withdrawn. the mouth wide open.
The fanGs fail on the victim ms
stab, the lower jaw closing in beneath
as Il bite. If the blow has been fair
and square, two small punctureS are
made in the flesh of the victim by the
two fangS, otherwise. if the blow has
been ere sided there will be only one
punCturc
Now, the mere striking of the blow
is not enough. and if the cobra were
tnStantanCouSly to withdraw the fangS
after dealing the blow, his prey would
suffer no worse effect than the pain
Of those necdlc-likc punctureS. II is
still necessary 10 inject the poison In
certain eases, indeed. by strong mus.
/ Cular action, the poison has been in
/ icctcd almost simultaneously with the
blow; nay, in ease where the cobra
was Unfortunately reused to fury. the
/ poison was shot out by strong mus
4 cular effort while the cobra was still
I in the act of plungng and in this case
I the would be victim. who was really
/ out Of range, escaped the blow. hut
/ had the poison Squirtcd ali over him
I Still. however, in most cases the poison
( is injected after the blow though il be
i but half second after. That hall a
/ second has saved many life for in
stance, where the blow. not being
struck full in the body. but only on
the edge of il. the cobra slipped off
the body by the mere impetus of the
blow, causing the fangS to scratch
along the skin in two thin lines
Assuming. however. that the blow
has been struck full on the body OF the
/ victim. the cobra Immediately after the
/ blow wrigglcS his head either to the
! right or to the left. This act of turn
ing helps TO squeeze the poison gland
situated on that side to which the
cobra has turned. and thus to inject
| the poison over the puncturc on that
side. After this discharge the cobra
usually drops off the limb in an inert
mass as If considerably. though temp
orarily. weakened by the loss of the
I precious fluid. There may, of course
he sufficient secretion Still left in the
j bag 10 give n second bite immediately
4 after. but in that ease the wound may
! not necessarily he fatal