HORRIBLE DEATH FROM A COBRA.

West Coast Times, Issue 1290, 10 November 1869, Page 3

HORRIBLE DEATH FROM A COBRA.

I know nothing in nature which gives me such an idea of terrible and fiendish power as the aspect of a cobra when thoroughly enraged. With its little head bent down between the spread of its broad livid-looking hood ; with its keen small black eyes, that actually shine with ferocity ; with its body raised about two feet, lightly swaying backwards and forwards in the act to spring, it is about the most dread looking symbol of deadly power that exists on the earth. It appears, therefore, something awful and supernatural to see a cobra glide without a sound across his cage, and with a touch, apparently as light as a feather, inflict inevitable and almost instant death on whatever animal is put near it. Rattlesnakes will only kill when they are hungry or irritated ; but both the Indian and Egyptian cobras will kill everything that comes near them, whether they are hungry, or irritated, or not. Dr Fayrer, in India, had tried a most interesting series of experiments with the cobra, in the hope of discovering some antidote to its poison, but as yet without the faintest prospect of success ; indeed, I am told that this eminent physician now almost despairs of attaining any. The experiments have been made with all kinds of animals. A horse bitten by a cobra died in one hour and fifteen minutes ; and it was found that the blood of a sheep which had been killed in half an hour by a cobra when injected into a healthy sheep, carried enough poison with it to cause death, thongh not in so short a time. In these cases it may be said that there was little power of giving what are supposed to be antidotes to the animals, and this is to a certain extent true ; but in the case of a keeper bitten by a cobra at the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, nearly twenty years ago, the unfortunate victim had all the resources of University CollegeJHospital, with the most skilled assistance in London to minister to him, yet the man's life could not be prolonged an hour. The case to which I have alluded in my first article on this subject is peculiar. Two keepers had been »ut to take leave of a friend who was going to Australia, and had passed the night "on tbe spree." They came back to their duties at the gardens at about seven o'clock on the raw November morning, both of them far from sober. One of the two men dared the other to take out the snakes, which were lying coiled up half torpid beneath 'their rugs, as they usually are in cold weather. Terrible and deadly as such a challenge seemed, both men entered into its spirit of defiance, undid the cages, and took snake after snake out, laid them on the floor of the reptile house, and then put them back again. It may seem incredible, but it is the fact that the whole collection were thus treated. The diamond snake, the Morocco snake, the water- viper, the puff-adders, the whip-snake, and the rattlesnake, were all so handled. Only one more snake remained to be meddled with, and this was a large Indian cobra. The keeper took it out, and the reptile seemed quiet, as anyone conversant with the habits of snakes would know it would on a cold winter's morning. After being handled a few seconds, however, it thoroughly awoke with signs of anger, and spread its hood. The man called to his companion, " God have mercy on me, Bill! it's going to bite!" As the words passed his lips, the snake struck him in the nose, and was thrown by the foolish victim on the floor of the house. He ran with his companion towards the gate, but before he could reach the entiance he had to be helped along. He was put into a cab, and driven at once to University College Hospital, where, in spite of every effort, he died within an hour and a-nalf after the bite. The case excited intense interest, for the mo6t careful post mortem examination did not detect anything but decomposition of the blood, which had reduced it to a very thin straw-colored fluid.