POISON OF SOME INDIAN VENOMOUS SNAKES. 47 



Experiment XXIV. 



September 4th. — The motor nerves having been tested and 

 found to be completely paralysed, a strong solution of cobra- 

 poison was applied to a cut in the back of the right thigh. No 

 quivering of the muscles could be observed after its application. 

 The poison was only applied to the middle of the back of the 

 right thigh. After a few minutes, those muscles with which it 

 had come into contact did not contract when irritated by the 

 direct application of an induced current. Distance of secondary 

 from the primary coil 0. The muscles of the sides and front of 

 the poisoned thigh, as well as those of the other thigh, con- 

 tracted well when irritated in the same way, with the coil at 

 13 cm. 



The poison paralyses the muscles of warm-blooded animals in 

 much the same way as those of frogs ; and it seems probable 

 from the following' experiment, that the paralysis of the 

 wounded limb, which is very frequently noticed in cases of 

 snake-bite, is partly due to the local action of the poison upon 

 the muscles. 



Experiment XXV. 



September 4th. — Injected five or six drops of a strong but not 

 perfectly concentrated solution of dried cobra-poison into the 

 muscles of the left thigh of a guinea-pig. 



12.43 P.M. Injection made. The animal immediately became 

 much excited, and rushed about wildly, crying loudly. 



12.47. The leg seemed paralysed and dragged behind the 

 animal. 



12.48. It ground its teeth and cried. 



12.50. Began to start, and cried more loudly. Took it in my 

 arms. It then became quiet. 

 12.52. Shivered. 



12.58. Laid the guinea-pig on its side on the table. It lay 

 still and did not attempt to rise. Eespiration was still going on. 



12.59. Cut off the head of this guinea-pig (No. 1), and imme- 

 diately after decapitated another healthy guinea-pig of nearly 

 the same size (No. 2). 



