POISON OF SOME INDIAN VENOMOUS SNAKES. 43 



Experiment XIX. 



A small quantity of dried o.obra-poison dissolved in water 

 was given to a young rabbit at 2.53 p.m. It was readily 

 swallowed. In seven minutes all the symptoms of poisoning 

 were developed. The rabbit died in convulsions in 11 minutes, 

 just as when the poison is injected hypodermically. The thorax 

 w^as opened a few minutes afterwards. The heart had ceased to 

 beat. Rigor 'Uiortis came on very rapidly. 



Experiment XX. 



November 28th, 1872. — 1.49. One-quarter of a drop of cobra- 

 poison put into a guinea-pig's eye. 



3.12. The eye is much congested. The animal has twitchings. 



3.14. Has been making efforts to vomit, and now vomits 

 frothy clear fluid. Has been purged also. 



4.5. Still retching, but not vomiting. 



November 29th. — Found to have recovered. 



Local Action of the Poison. 



Cobra-poison acts as a local irritant, and produces chemosis 

 of the conjunctiva and swelling of the eyelids when applied to 

 the eye, and occasionally congestion of the peritoneal vessels 

 when injected into the abdominal cavity (Experiments XX and 

 XLIV). 



It paralyses the ends of the motor nerves, and also the 

 muscles of the part into which it has been injected (Experi- 

 ment XXV). The muscles are not only deprived of their 

 irritability, but become prone to putrefy (Experiment LVII). 

 The fresh cobra-poison produces great extravasation of blood 

 around the wound through which it has been introduced ; but 

 this is not so mark'ed when dried poison is used. 



If death do not rapidly follow, great swelling from infiltration 

 of the areolar tissue may occur, or, in some cases, gangrene of 

 the skin and subjacent cellular tissue and subsequent changes 

 indicative of general blood-poisoning. 



The local action of viperine is probably more active than that 

 of colubrine virus. 



