456. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1891. 



average mortality, taking the four districts together, of *205 per 

 1,000. On the other hand, in the last four districts on the list, viz., 

 Bijapur, Nasik, Ahruednagar and Sholapur, the combined average 

 mortality per mille is only 'Oil 8. In other words, only one man dies 

 of snake-bite in about 100,000 in these Deccan districts, while in the 

 isWws-ridden tracts one man dies in every 5,000. Daboias and kraits 

 are probably nowhere so common in "Western India as to have much 

 appreciable effect on the mortality. But cobras are quite as common, 

 I believe, in these Deccan districts as they are in Ratnagiri or Sind. 

 This shews, I think, pretty conclusively that the JSchis — and not the 

 cobra, or any other venomous snake — is chiefly responsible for deaths 

 from snake-bite in Bombay." 



The roots of P. parvijiorus have been examined by Dr. Warden, 

 Prof, of Chemistry at the Calcutta Medical College, and well known 

 in Europe for his important contributions to our knowledge of the 

 chemistry of Indian plants. The most interesting principle detected 

 in the root was an alkaloid, which I believe will prove to be a new 

 discovery, and which Dr. Warden proposes to call pogodemonine. 

 After repeated purification it was left as a yellow varnish with 

 slightly bitter and mouse-like flavour. It was more soluble in 

 chloroform than in ether. No special colour reactions were noted. 

 He also detected the presence of trimethylamine, and a volatile prin- 

 ciple with a cedar-wood odour. Resinous principles were also 

 present, with astringent matter. 



The constituents of the plant, which should be used in any future 

 experiments, are the alkaloid pogostemonine and trimethylamine, the 

 amount of tannic matters present being insufficient to account for 

 any remarkable styptic properties. Trimethylamine (C. H.33 N.) has 

 been obtained from several plants, such as Beet, Arnica, and in this 

 country from Sahndora persica, a plant which has a reputation in 

 cases of Phursa-bite in Sind. Trimethylamine occurs also in herring- 

 pickle, which contains it in considerable quantity and owes to it its 

 peculiar disagreeable smell. Commercially, it is prepared from the 

 residue left in the manufacture of beet-sugar. It is a colourless, 

 strongly alkaline, caustic liquid, having a strong ammoniacal and 

 offensive odour ; applied to the skin it acts as an irritant like 

 ammonia, causing burning and redness, and, if long continued, 



