62 PHYSIOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY 



allowed to bite again, and when the fangs were fixed in the naked muscles, the 

 upper jaw was violently pressed downwards, so as to wound the part deeply. 



Upon the sixth day, the wound was covered with a gray exudation, such as is 

 usually found upon the healing surface of the wounds of serpents. This snake died 

 on the fourteenth day. The tissues about the bite were congested, the gall-bladder 

 full, mucus in the stomach, the venom glands dark from effused blood. 



Experiment. — A large snake was made to bite himself twice, in a space near the 

 cloac, where the skin had been removed. This serpent also died on the fourteenth 

 day. The wound was apparently healthy, and not to be distinguished from any 

 other wound, except that the muscles about it were a little softened. The blood 

 was uncoagulated, but there was no other visible lesion of any internal organ. 



Experiment. — On the same day a large snake, fifty-six inches long, had a small 

 portion of the skin on the back loosened and turned over, so as to make a flap. 

 On this wound was placed about a drop of venom from the snake itself. The poison 

 was finally thrust into a number of superficial cuts made in the muscles on which 

 the drop fell. On the second day, the snake being well to appearance, half a drop 

 of its own venom was put in a superficial wound half way up the back. This 

 W'Ound seemed to excite the snake, which, on being replaced in its box, continued 

 in very rapid and violent motion for some minutes, as though in pain. On the 

 sixth day, both wounds were covered with gray exudation, and beneath, the mus- 

 cles were soft, but in this, as in other cases, no effusion of blood existed about the 

 wound. The snake was sluggish, and indisposed to bite. It died on the tenth day. 



P. M. — There were no visceral lesions, except that one lung contained a little 

 effused blood. The venom glands were dark and congested. The heart blood 

 coagulated firmly, thirty minutes after removal. In all probability this serpent 

 died from some other cause than venom poisoning. 



Experiment. — A snake forty-si.x inches long was secured, and the skin just above 

 the anus removed from a space of about one inch by two. On this, the snake bit itself 

 three times, throwing out a good deal of venom which was thrust deeply into the 

 muscles of the part. On the second day, the wounded muscles were softened, but 

 no blood was effused. The wound had been re-covered with skin, and secured by 

 sutures. At the close of two weeks this snake was healthy, and bit eagerly. The 

 wounds were partially healed. 



Experiments. — Three large serpents were made to disgorge their venom, and the 

 poison from each snake was injected under the skin of its back, with the aid of a 

 small syringe and trocar. The snakes, which I will distinguish as numbers one, 

 two, and three, received respectively ten, eight, and seven drops of poison. 



No. 1 died in thirty-six hours. The wound was surrounded by softened tissues, 

 but was not stained with blood. The organs generally were normal, except the 

 stomach, which contained bloody mucus. The heart was full of clotted blood. 



No. 2 died in sixty-seven hours. The local appearances in this case were much 

 as in the last one, but less extensive. The interior organs were healthy, and the 

 heart contained two loose and soft clots. 



No. 3 died during the seventh day. Tlie wound, in this case, penetrated the 

 muscles, which were dark and much softened. The blood in the heart was mostly 



