ON THE POISON OF THE RATTLESNAKE. 101 



A decoction of the root of the Hieraceum venosum was 



freely administered to the animal first bitten, with the appa- 

 rent effect of rendering the poison less narcotic ami probably 

 of retarding the death of the subject of the experiment, and 

 it survived the animal subsequently hitten more than an hour. 



Escperiment 2. 



At 4 h. 21 m. a small black pup was bitten by an active 

 male snake. 



At 4 h. 34 m. a brown dog was bitten by the same snake 

 severely in the foot; the wound bled freely. 



At 4 h. 37 m. the hlack dog was again bitten in the foot, 

 the wound being severe. 



At 4 h. 40 m. black dog was drowsy, and unable to stand. 



At 4 h. 45 m. brown dog evacuated per anum. 



At 4 h. 46 m. hlack dog evacuated per anum. 



At 4 h. 47 m. administered a quarter of a pint of the de- 

 coction to the hlack dog. 



At 4 h. 55 m. gave the same dog more of the decoction, 

 say half a pint in all ; he is certainly not more drowsy, while 

 the brown dog appears very sick and restless: the black dog 

 swelled a gnat deal, but shows signs of more liveliness. 



At 5 h. 25 m. gave the black dog half a wine glassful 

 more; he trembles very much, and the leg i* greatly -welled, 

 but he swallows his medicine easily. 



5 h. 45 m. Black dog drinks of the decoction voluntarily, 

 and at 6 h. 30 m. went to sleep. The brown dog has be- 

 come more lively, and limp- about the room: the part- in (be 

 vicinity of the wounds of both are much tumefied. About 

 this period both became considerably revived; bloody serum 

 was squeezed out of tin black pup's wound, and the swelling 

 thus diminished. <)n the following morning the black dog 



was found dead, whilst the brown dog recovered completely. 



