4 ON THE NATURE AND ACTION OF THE 



commonly understood, has been found effective in neutralising 

 the action of snake-poison. We think it is also pretty clearly 

 demonstrated that death is caused in most cases, at all events 

 where a full quantity of the virus has been injected, by its 

 action on the nerve-centres, though whether on them alone, or 

 also on the peripheral distribution of the nerves, or on the 

 nmscles themselves, or the exact extent to which each is 

 affected, there may be some difficulty in determining. The 

 futility of all the methods of treatment hitherto had recourse 

 to is probably explained by the mode of death ; their inutility 

 had long since been demonstrated by Fontana, who, ninety years 

 ago, among other tilings, showed that the outward and inward 

 use of ammonia, as well as its injection into the veins, was as 

 powerless for good as were all other remedies. 



There is apparently some analogy between the nature of the 

 action bf the cobra-virus and that of curara, death in both 

 cases being brought about by arrest of respiration through 

 paralysis of the respiratory apparatus. 



In the case of the curara it has been demonstrated by 

 experiment that this is due to paralysis of the peripheral 

 distribution of the motor nerves ; and it has been further 

 shown that if respiration be continued artificially for a sufficient 

 length of time, perfect recovery may take place, as we have 

 ourselves observed, the poison being eliminated from the 

 system, and not having, during its presence, so far compromised 

 t-he integrity of the parts of the nervous system where it took 

 effect as to interfere with a resumption of their functions after 

 its removal. Now it is evident that artificial respiration and 

 the use of any remedies that may expedite elimination, with 

 the application of artificial warmth to sustain temperature up 

 to the normal standard, are the measures which may be 

 regarded as antidotal in a rational sense to this form of 

 poisoning ; and such they have proved themselves to be ; for if 

 an animal apparently dead from curara-poisoning be kept warm 

 and artificial respiration be kept up for some hours, it will 

 perfectly recover. 



It is in the application of similar principles that we may 

 hope to realise a similar result in cases of snake-poisoning; 



