The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c6.s4.3

c6.s4.3

The poison of the black cobra (*Naga tripudians*. *Vern.* *Keute sáp*, *Beng.*) is used. It is collected by making the reptile bite on a piece of stick or wood when the poison is poured out and received on a piece of plantain leaf. It is preserved in two ways. The liquid poison is allowed to congeal and dry in a cup or it is rubbed with a fourth part of mustard oil and spread out on a piece of plantain leaf. Thus treated it rapidly coagulates into a granular agglutinated mass of a yellowish-brown colour. When allowed to dry spontaneously, serpent poison coagulates into shining, crystalline yellowish white granules. It is used in complicated fever in combination with arsenic, aconite and other medicines. Numerous formulæ containing this poison are given in recent compilations. The following are a couple of examples.