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



inch in length. Eight out of the ten lettuce-seeds had sprouted and sent 

 out a radicle more than of an inch long. All the cress-seeds moistened 

 with poison had also sprouted, but the radicles were only about j 1 ^ of an 

 inch long. Five lettuce-seeds had begun to sprout, but the radicles were 

 barely visible. 



It is not improbable that the delay caused by the poison in the germi- 

 nation of the seeds, in this experiment, is not to be attributed entirely to 

 its poisonous action ; and it may be due in great measure to the solution 

 of the poison having matted the fibres of cotton-wool more closely than 

 the water, and thus rendered the conditions of air and moisture less 

 favourable to the seeds placed in it. 



Effect of the Poison when introduced through different channels. 



The action of the poison is most rapid when it is introduced directly 

 into the circulation, as by injection into the jugular vein ; and in such 

 instances death may occur in less than a minute. When injected into 

 the thoracic cavity, as in Experiment XXVIII., death occurred almost as 

 quickly ; but this may have been due to puncture of the lung and intro- 

 duction of the poison directly into some of the pulmonary vessels. 



Injection into the peritoneal cavity comes next in order of rapidity, 

 but a good deal behind the last ; and it is followed by subcutaneous 

 injection. 



"Whatever may be the effect of the venom of the viper or crotalus, the 

 cobra virus produces its poisonous effects tolerably rapidly when 

 swallowed, both in the frog and in warm-blooded animals, as is seen 

 from Experiments XVII. and XIX. 



It is also absorbed from the conjunctiva, and produces the character- 

 istic symptoms of poisoning. In Experiment XX. the animal, though 

 affected by the poison, recovered ; but in several experiments made by one 

 of us in India, death rapidly occurred after the application of the fresh 

 poison to the conjunctiva (' Thanatophidia of India/ pp. 108, 115, 127, 

 128, 135). 



Experiment XVII. 



May 2lst, 1873. 2.23 P.M. A small bit of dried cobra-poison put into 

 a frog's mouth and swallowed. 



3.25. Frog not much, if at all, affected. 



4.5. Frog not so vigorous. Appears to be paralyzed in fore legs, but 

 moves his hind legs freely. On irritating his fore legs there are vigorous 

 contractions in his hind legs, but none in the fore legs. 



4.10. The anterior part of the body and fore legs seem to be quite 

 paralyzed. No reaction is noticed in the eyelids when the cornea is 

 irritated. Hind legs are still vigorous. 



4.20. Hind legs vigorous. All the fore part of the body quite para- 

 lyzed. Mouth gaping. Tongue swollen. 



