324 



VENOMS 



much of its time in the water, and feeds upon worms and small 

 fishes. 



In the males the hind feet are armed with a spur, having an 

 orifice at the extremity. At the will of the animal, there is dis- 

 charged from this spur a venomous liquid secreted by a gland, 

 which lies along the thigh, and is in communication with the spur 

 by means of a wide subcutaneous duct (Patrick Hill).^ 



It has often been proved in Australia that this liquid, when 

 inoculated by the puncture of the spur, may give rise to oedema 

 and more or less intense general malaise. Interesting details with 

 reference to the effects produced by this secretion have been 

 published by C. J. Martin, in collaboration with Frank Tidswell.^ 



Fig. 125. — Ornithorliynchus paradoxus. (After Claus. ) 



When a dose greater than 2 centigrammes of dry extract of the 

 venom of 'Ornithorhynchus is injected intravenously into the rabbit, 

 it produces phenomena of intoxication analogous to those observed 

 after inoculation with Viperine venoms. Death supervenes in 

 from twenty-five to thirty minutes, and at the autopsy heemorrhagic 

 patches are found beneath the endocardium of the left ventricle. 



This venom has been studied afresh in my laboratory by Noc, 



' " On the OrnitJiorhijiiclius imradoxiis, its Venomous Spur and General 

 Structure," Trans. Linn. 'Soc, 1822, p. 622. 



- " Observations on the Femoral Gland of Ornithorhynchus and its Secretion ; " 

 Proc. Linn. Soc. Neiv South Wales, vol. ix., July, 1894. 



* "Note sur la secretion venimeuse de VOrnitliorlninrlnisjjaradoxus,'''' Comptes 

 rendus de la Societe de Biologic, March 12, 1904. 



