1874.] Poison of Indian Venomous Snakes. 85 



taken from the right ventricle. On being examined microscopically, the 

 corpuscles in both were seen to be very much crenated. They did not 

 form rouleaux. Another drop was taken from the right ventricle, and 

 surrounded with oil to prevent evaporation. Hardly a trace of crenation 

 could be observed in this drop ; but several branching crystals of a reddish 

 colour were observed, and some of them appeared to grow while under 

 observation. Numerous granular masses were also seen. 



Experiment XXTT. 



August 27th. Injected 1 cubic centimetre of a 2-per-cent. solution of 

 cobra-poison under the skin of the hip of a white rat. 



1.35. Injection made. 



1.37. Respiration quick. The end of the tail snipped off, and a drop 

 of blood examined by Dr. Klein. The red corpuscles are much crenated, 

 and have no tendency to form rouleaux, but adhere together in flat masses. 

 The plasma contains numerous lumps of a granular material, probably 

 coagula of some sort. 



2.5. The animal lies stretched out. Makes a curious squeaking noise. 

 It does not rise when the tail is pinched. 



2.13. Lies with nose on ground. Convulsive movements of hind legs. 



2.15. Head sinks to one side. Convulsive movements. 



2.18. Breathing slow. Marked interval between inspiration and 

 expiration. 



2.19. Stopped breathing. Heart still beating. 



2.20. The animal lay on its back. A few weak respirations were 

 made, and then ceased. The heart was beating steadily. Thorax opened 

 and heart exposed. A little blood drawn from the ventricles by a fine 

 pipette was examined microscopically by Dr. Klein. It presented 

 exactly the same characters as those of the former specimen. Blood from 

 another, healthy rat showed numerous rouleaux, and the corpuscles were 

 not crenated. 



Action on Muscles. 



Cobra-poison has the power of destroying the irritability of voluntary 

 muscular fibre when applied directly to it, either in a concentrated or 

 diluted condition. It does not produce any quivering of the fibres ; and 

 in this particular it differs from the poison of the rattlesnake as 

 described by Dr. Weir Mitchell. 



The local action of cobra-poison on muscle is illustrated by Experi- 

 ments XXIII., XXIV., XXV., and XXVI. 



Experiment XXIII. 



September 4th. A frog was decapitated, and the skin removed from 

 both hind legs. A longitudinal cut was then made in the muscle of 

 both thighs. A strong solution of dried cobra-poison in distilled water, 

 of such a strength as to resemble the fresh poison closely in appearance, 

 was then applied to the cut in one thigh, while the other was moistened 



H2 



