78 Messrs. T. L. Brunton and J. Fayrer on the [Jan. 22, 



Experiment IX. 



A fish (Ophiocephalus marulius), about 10 inches in length, was bitten 

 by a fresh cobra at 11.20 A.M. in two places on the dorsal and ventral 

 surfaces. 



11.22. It turned over on its side in the water. 



11.23. Struggling and plunging violently in the water. 



11.25. Turned over on its side. 



11.26. On being roused it plunges violently. 

 11.40. Dead in 20 minutes from the bite. 



For the purpose of comparison the following experiment with curare 

 was made. It will be seen that there was no plunging. The failure of 

 muscular action, except when a more than ordinarily powerful stimulus 

 from the nerve-centres called it into play, is very evident. 



Experiment X. 



November 1873. Injected a solution of curare under the skin of a 

 carp near the tail. A great part of the solution came out on withdrawing 

 the needle of the syringe. 



11.25. Injection made. 



11.26. The fish lies obliquely in the water, inclining to the opposite 

 side from the injection. It can move when irritated, and can remain 

 perfectly upright in the water ; but in a very short time its position be- 

 comes oblique again. 



11.35. Injected some more curare. A great part of this also returned. 



11.50. Lies obliquely, but can move tolerably vigorously when roused. 



11.55. Moves more feebly when roused. 



12.10. Seemed dead, but did not lie flat on its side, and still preserved 

 the oblique position. 



12.20. It suddenly started up without any apparent cause, swam across 

 the vessel, a distance of several inches, and then relapsed into its former 

 state. 



Action on Snails. 



Cobra-venom seems to destroy their irritability. It first causes them 

 to shrink within their shells, and finally lessens their movements when 

 stimulated. 



Effect of Reagents fyc. on the Action of the Poison. 



The activity of the poison is not destroyed, and scarcely impaired, by 

 drying. We have made no comparative experiments with perfectly fresh 

 poison and the dried residue of a similar quantity ; but there are few, if 

 any, instances on record of death from the fresh poison in less than half 

 a minute, the time in which the dried poison killed a guineapig in 

 Experiment XXVIII. 



The local action of the poison, however, seems to be altered by drying ; 

 for extravasation of blood around the part where a snake has inserted its 



