OF THE VENOM OF THE RATTLESNAKE. 93 



Experiment.— In a second case, the dog, which was Large and vigorous, survived 

 the bites several hours, and died during my absence. lie was bitten by a strong 

 and fresh snake at 5.15, and again by a second at 5.18. At 5.57, blood drawn 

 from the femoral artery was red and perfectly coagulable. At the close of two 

 hours the blood drawn still clotted well. At this time, as I have said, I ceased to 

 observe him. He was able to walk when I left him, and was drinking eagerly. 

 I do not suppose that he could have died before five or six hours from the time of 

 the bite. Eighteen hours after, I returned to find him dead and rigid. IIis blood 

 was everywhere dark and fluid. 



Experiment.— In another instance during the spring of 1859, a dog was accident- 

 ally 'dropped into my snake-box. He was bitten in a dozen places by as many 

 snakes, and perished in about eighteen minutes. His blood was entirely fluid, and 

 so remained. This was the most rapid case of alteration of the blood with which 



I have met. . , ,, p , 



The last observation of this series was one of great interest,^ owing to the tact 

 that the dog survived very serious visceral lesions and lived during two days with 

 his blood in a condition of complete diffluence. 



Experiment.— The dog, a small terrier weighing about fifteen pounds, was intended 

 to make one of a set of observations on the value of Bibron's antidote. For this 

 purpose he was placed in the snake-box, where instantly he was struck twice by a 

 large snake, both wounds being double fang marks, and both being in the right 

 flank. On removing him I observed that from one of the wounds blood was run- 

 ning in a thin stream. After it had run for some time, I caught a few drops in a 

 watdi-glass, and found that it coagulated well. Before I thought fit to use the 

 supposed antidote, I was called away. Returning at the end of an hour I found 

 the dog standing with his head pendent, having just vomited glairy mucus. His 

 pulse was quick and feeble, his respiration occasfonally panting. The hemorrhage 

 had ceased. Owing to an accident which at this time deprived me of the supply 

 of Bibron's antidote, which I had prepared, I was unable to make further use of 

 the animal in the manner proposed, and not desiring to lose the observation 

 altogether, I utilized the opportunity in the following way:— 



One hour and a half after he was bitten I drew a drachm of blood from the 

 jugular vein. It clotted perfectly. 



Four and a half hours after the bite a drachm of blood from the same vein 

 coagulated equally well. 



Twenty hours from the time of the poisoning, the dog was found lying on his 

 left side, having passed slimy and bloody stools in abundance. At intervals he 

 seemed to sufier much from tenesmus, but was so weak that he stood up with 

 difficulty. His gums were bleeding, a symptom I had seen before, and his eyes 

 were deeply injected. At this time about two or three drachms of blood were 

 drawn. It was very dark, and formed within five minutes a clot of feeble texture. 

 Twenty-seven hours and a half after the time at which he was bitten, the dog 

 was weaker. His hind fogs were twitching, and the dysentery continued. Three 

 drachms of blood were drawn as usual, but no clot formed in this specimen, 

 although it was set aside and carefully watched for some time. While I was col- 



