80 STRYCHNINE, A USELESS REMEDY IN SNAKE-BITE. 



thus obtained is easily manipulated by a hypodermic syringe. 



A solution of the venom was made fresh for each experiment. 



The first thing to ascertain was the minimum amount of venom 



necessary to kill a guinea-pig (full grown guinea-pigs were the 



animals made use of). 



Experiments. 



1. — 1^ grains of venom killed in . . . . 30 minutes 



2.— U „ „ „ .... 35 „ 



3.— I „ „ „ .... 45 ,i 



4. -J ,, „ ,, . . . . 3 hours 

 5. — I grains, recovered 



6. — I grain, killed in several hours ; time not exactly 

 known, but over two hours. 



From these experiments it is seen that a quarter of a grain is 

 about the smallest dose that will kill. The next thing was to 

 find out what amount of strychnine a guinea-pig could stand. 



7. — 1/10 grain of strychnine killed in . . 5 minutes 

 8.— 1/20 „ „ „ .. 15 „ 



9. — 1/100 ,, ,, recovered 



10.— 1/60 „ 



11.— 1/30 „ „ „ This amount 



caused well-marked tetanic convulsions ; it is the 

 maximum amount that a guinea-pig will stand, 

 at any rate, in one dose. 



With tbese facts experiments were made to test strychnine as an 

 antidote. 



12.—^ grain of snake venom dissolved in water was injected 

 under the skin, and at the same time 1/60 grain 

 of strychnine under a different part of the skin. 

 The animal died of snake poisoning in 1 hour 

 22 minutes. 



13. — 1 grain of venom with 1/30 grain of strychnine and 

 10 minims of water were injected together. The 

 animal died in 44 minutes. 



14. — J grain of venom was injected and at the same time 

 1/40 grain of strychnine, but at a different pan of 

 the skin. The animal died in 30 minutes. 



15. — I grain of venom was injected, and killed in 3 hours 



25 minutes. 

 16. — J grain of venom with 1/60 grain of strychnine dis- 

 solved in 10 minims of water were injected 

 together. The animal died in 2 hours 47 

 minutes. 



If the dose of snake venom has been a lethal one, then 

 strychnine is powerless to avert a fatal termination. The 

 effect of the two substances acting together, the one having 

 a stimulating, the other a paralysing property, would be 



