118 ON THE NATURE AND ACTION OF THE CROTALUS-POISON 



rattlesnake. Both were watery solutions of exactly the same 

 quantity of the dried virus ; but it is to be borne in mind that 

 that of the rattlesnake was 6^ years old, wliile that of the 

 cobra was only 1 year old. 



The guinea-pigs were both full-grown and of the same size, 

 yet one succumbed in 20 minutes to the cobra-poison, while the 

 other survived the inoculation of the rattlesnake-poison for 

 2 hours and 3 minutes. 



There were no very marked differences in the action of the 

 poison in these two cases, except in the energy with which the 

 cobra exceeded the Crotahis. 



Crotaius. Coh'a. 



Twitchings ; restless ; squeaks ; Twitchings ; excitement ; 



sluggish ; ataxy ; paralysis. squeaks ; sluggish ; ataxy ; 



Hurried respiration. Peri- weakness ; paralysis. Con- 



tonitis. Convulsions. Death vulsions. Death in 20 



in 2 hours 3 minutes. Co- minutes. Spinal cord and 



agulated blood. Ecchymosis nerves paralysed. Muscles 



and extravasation of serous irritable. Heart distended, 



effusion well marked. Cord Blood coagulated. Ecchy- 



paralysed. Muscles retain mosis. Congestion less than 



irritability. in Crotaius. 



Experiment V. 



June 10th. — A grain of Crotalus-'poison diluted with water 

 was injected into the peritoneum of a full-grown guinea-pig at 

 2.40 P.M. Twitchings began almost immediately. 



3.3. Eestless ; startings ; staggers on hind legs. 



3.20. Very weak, especially in hind quarters. General 

 paralysis setting in. Abdomen distended and very tender. 



3.30. In convulsions. Still feels when the abdomen is 

 touched. 



3.37. Paralysed, but feels the touch. Eetlex well marked. 



3.45. Apparently dead in 65 minutes. 



3.48. Cavities opened. Auricles flickering. Blood from heart 

 and great vessels coagulated firmly. Abdominal cavity and 

 areolar tissue and subperitoneal tissue infiltiated with bloody 



