OF THE VENOM OF THE IIATTLESNAKE 



67 



logical appearances which may occur. No cases of very early death are admitted 

 into this report. 



The remaining observations were made upon reed-birds, and were principally 

 incidental to researches upon special points to which I shall have to refer so much 

 at length in another place, that it is needles.? to duplicate them here. The I'eed- 

 bird proved so susceptible a test, that one-eighth of a drop of venom sufficed in 

 most cases to destroy it, the length of life in these instances being always in inverse 

 ratio to the amount of poison employed. 



Among warm blooded quadrupeds, I have examined the influence of venom on 

 the rabbit, the guinea pig, and the dog. On the first mentioned animal I have 

 made ten observations. Of these, I shall report two at length, the remainder in 

 full tabular form. Upon the guinea pig I have made only four exjieriments, all of 

 them incidental to special points of research, and not so fully reported in my note 

 book as to enable me to detail at length their symptoms and lesions. 



Experiment. Poisoning of Babbits. — A large white rabbit was lowered into the 

 snake-box, and was instantly struck by a small snake. The wound took effect on 

 the left hind paw. The rabbit was removed and put upon the table, when it rolled 

 over, gasping and slightly convulsed, and was dead in one minute. 



P. M. — No lesion was found in any organ. The fore feet twitched for some 

 few minutes after death, and the skin muscles moved to and fro in a singular 

 manner. The heart was beating actively, but feebly, just after death, and con- 

 tinued locally irritable for over an hour and a half. The muscles and motor nerves 

 were perfectly excitable several minutes after death. The blood coagulated firmly 

 and rapidly ; a perfect case of acute poisoning. 



Experiment. — In this instance the animal was struck once in the back by a large 

 snake already exhausted by frequent use. A few minutes after the bite took place 

 the rabbit was seized with weakness, gritting of the teeth, and rapid respiration. 

 It passed urine and feces, and remained feeble during some hours. From this 

 period the weakness abated somewhat, but the back continued to swell. On the 

 second day the local signs were improving, but the animal had passed a veiv albu- 



