No. VIII. 



Experiments made on the Poison of the Rattlesnake; in which 

 the Poivers of the Hiekaceum Venosum, as a Specific, 

 were tested; together with some Anatomical Observations 

 on this Animal. By Richard Harlan, M.D. — Read March 

 1th, 1828. 



TN offering the following observations, it is not my inten- 

 tion, or desire, to add another specific to the numerous an- 

 tidotes to the poison of the Rattlesnake, already before the 

 public. Most of these remedies have proved, on trial, to be 

 either destitute of active properties, or altogether unworthy 

 of serious consideration. I shall therefore briefly notice a few 

 of the most celebrated. 



The most ancient, at least, if not the most renowned, is 

 the volatile alkali, a remedy prescribed by European practi- 

 tioners more than a century ago, not only as an antidote 

 for the poison of the viper, but against the effects of the bite 

 of venomous animals in general*. The Abbe Fontana, 

 about the middle of last century, published a work on the 

 poison of the viper, to which we may refer for many cu- 

 rious experiments on the nature of this poisonf. 



* Vid. Diet, des Sciences Medicales, vol. xxxiv. p. 309 ; article Morsure. 

 t The following among other conclusions arc oflcred by Fontana ; the viper 

 alluded to is the "Coluber berus" of Linn. " 1. The bite of the viper is notpois- 



