474 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893. 



introduced, it seems, by the French physician, Dr. Josso. * Rabbits 

 and fowls were inociihited witli crotalus poison and treated with extr. 

 jaborandi, both hypodennically and in the stomach. It appears that 

 the rabbits recovered even from a fourfokl lethal dose of the venom, 

 while in the fowls the eft'ect of the antidote was less marked, as it was 

 only capable of prolonging bat not saving life. 



Another drug which it might possibly pay to experiment with is 

 strophanthiis, as suggested by Dr. T. L. Bancroft, of Australia. In 

 short, there is yet a wide field open for the investigators. 



The beneficial effects of the jaborandi are i^robably to be ascribed to 

 the influence of this drug both upon the skin and the liver, and this 

 fact opens up another question which must be taken into consideration 

 before we conclude this chapter, viz, the question as to the way in 

 which the poison is eliminated by the system; for it is plain from all 

 that we now know of the physiology of the case that when the poison 

 has once entered into the circulation all that can be done in this dire^.^ 

 tion is to counteract its immediate effect upon the nerve centers, thus 

 prolonging life and enabling the system to throw off" the poison. Any 

 remedy that would assist in doing so would be a distinct help. But in 

 order to find such a remedy it is necessary to know exactly how the 

 poison is finally got rid of. Unfortunately, this is a point upon which 

 no conclusive studies have been made. As already mentioned, experi- 

 ments have been made which go to show the presence of the venom in 

 the liver, kidneys, etc., although in but small quantity. 1 am not 

 aware that there has been made any extended experiments to ascertain 

 the presence of the poison in the perspiration, a point well worth 

 investigation in view of the fact that there are cases of severe systemic 

 poisoning which have been rei)orted + cured simply by means of pro- 

 fuse perspiration. Inoculation of urine of the bitten subject has been 

 occasionally undertaken to test the presence of venom, and fatal results 

 have been reported, but the experiments have not been conducted in 

 such a way as to satisfy us that death was not due to the ptomaines 

 contained in the urine. 



However, Feoktistow found, in addition, gross anatomical changes in 

 the kidneys of poisoned cats, and Dr. Mueller has recently J called atten- 

 tion to the probability that' the snake poison is eliminated through the 

 kidneys. 



Quite recently Dr. Konrad Alt, of Germany, in a paper read before 

 the Natural History Society of Halle on the Saale, on July 23, 1892, § 

 has demonstrated that a portion of the venom, at least, is eliminated by 



*Gaz. Hebdotn. de M6dec. et Chir., Paris (2 ser.), 1882, xix (p. 835). 



t For instance: W. H. Wooster, New Treatment for Snake Bite and other Poisons. 

 Science, xx, Nov. 4, 1892, pp. 255, 256. 



} On Hiematnria in Snakebite Poisoning. Australas. Med. Gaz., Sydney, xil, 

 Aug. 15, 1893, pp. 247-249. 



^ IJutersncbungen iiber die Ausscheidung des Schlangengiftes durcli den Magen. 

 Miiucli. Medic. Wocbenschr., xxxix, Oct. 11, 1892, pp. 724-728. 



