74 niYSIOLOGY A JsD TOXICOL OGT 



was passed. The breathing then became jerking and labored. The fremitus, at 

 first localized in some of the bites, soon became general, until it disappeared before 

 the profound debility, which seemed to affect the entire economy. Three hours 

 after the poisoning the animal died without convulsions. At the moment of the 

 infliction of the wounds, there certainly was great pain, but at no time afterwards 

 was this sensation expressed. Until near death, the cerebral functions appeared to 

 preserve their integrity, so that the dog wagged his tail on being patted, and even 

 followed with his head the motions of the flies which hovered over him. The 

 numerous bites were really the most formidable lesions found after death. Around 

 them, in each case, was an irregular circle of extravasated fluid blood. None of 

 them, however, were much swollen, although the amount of blood spread out in 

 their layers and soaked into the muscles must have been considerable. Except 

 some congestion of the vessels of the brain and its membranes, there was no morbid 

 appearance in any viscus. The right heart was full of fluid blood. The left heart 

 also contained more blood than usual, and its color was a little brighter than that 

 of the other side. 



Experiment. — A white mongrel bitch, weighing fifteen pounds, was put in the 

 cage with a large snake, which had not used its fangs for ten days. The snake 

 struck the animal with both fangs just above the eye, and again, after some teasing, 

 on the inside of the thigh high up. This latter wound gave great pain, and the 

 bitch, when lifted from the box, yelled and whined during several minutes. On 

 examination, it was found that only one fang had taken effect in the thigh. Around 

 this was a growing circle of flattened swelling, of which the dark color was easily 

 seen through the skin, which in this place was white and verj- delicate. During half 

 an hour the animal stood on her feet, her head hanging a little, and blood running 

 so freely from the wound in tlie thigh, that an ounce or two may have been thus 

 lost within an hour of the period of the bite. At the close of the half hour the 

 bitch suddenly staggered, and fell on her side, then rose and again fell. The 

 heart, which before the poisoning was 154, rose immediately after the bite to 175, 

 stimulated, perhaps, by pain and terror. When the animal fell the pulse was 

 about IGO, and irregular and feeble. After this, its force diminished gradually, but 

 the rhythm changed very little until just before death, when it fell rapidly. An 

 hour after the bite, the animal still lay on her side making eflbrts to vomit. Upon 

 lifting her up she succeeded in vomiting a little mucus. At this time she also 

 passed a loose stool, and soon after lying down again, made water freely. The 

 urine ran over a board on which the dog lay. A little of it drawn up with a 

 pipette, proved to be acid and to contain no albumen. One hour and twenty 

 minutes after the poisoning, the head was suddenly thrown back, the pupils con- 

 tracted and the limbs extended, although not violently. At the close of this 

 momentary convulsion, the bitch drew a long breath and expired. 



P. M. Section. — The wound was a good deal swollen, and contained some loosely- 

 clotted blood, and much more that was quite fluid, and so continued upon removal. 

 The tissues in the track of the fang were only a little softened, but the thigh was 

 literally soaked with blood down to the periosteal membrane, which was darkly 

 stained. The other wound was but little swollen. The brain was apparently 



