1874.] Poison of Indian Venomous Snakes. 125 



A large vein entering the auricle on the left side was pulsating vigo- 

 rously and rhythmically, though no part of the heart itself showed the 

 least trace of motion. 



Experiment LXIX. 



June 26, 1872. Half a drop of cobra-poison diluted with J cub. centim. 

 of water was injected under the skin of a guineapig, weighing about 450 

 grammes (1 lb.). 



At 12.13.15 the injection was made. Immediately the animal became 

 restless and cried constantly. 



At 12.15 twitching movements began in the limbs. 



At 12.16 the animal was quiet, and would not move when touched. It 

 then became restless again, and remained so till 12.44. 



12.44. The jugular vein was exposed, and ^ cub. centim. of the diluted 

 poison was injected into it (= | drop of poison). 



In less than 30 seconds the animal appeared to be dead. 



The thorax was opened, and the heart found to be motionless and the 

 walls of all its cavities firmly contracted. The lungs were ecchymosed. 



12.55. Electrodes were inserted into the spinal cord, and an interrupted 

 current passed through it. Whenever the current passed, the legs of the 

 animal jerked vigorously. 



The blood which was collected from the large thoracic vessels formed a 

 firm coagulum. 



1.22. The cord was still irritable when excited by the induced current. 



Experiment LXX. 



Jan. 14, 1873. The heart of a frog was excised. It beat 20 times in 

 1 minute. Several drops of cobra-poison were then placed upon it, and 

 it beat 24 times in 1 minute. "When seized with forceps and placed in 

 cobra-poison it stopped in systole ; but this might be due to the effect of 

 the compression by the forceps. 



Experiment LXXI. 



Frog's heart excised. Beats, 30 in the first minute, 34 in the second. 



Cobra-poison applied to it. It immediately stopped, and then began 

 again, but slowly and feebly. Then it beat 26 times per minute, less 

 strongly than before. It gradually recovered and seemed little affected, 

 but stopped about 10 or 15 minutes afterwards. 



Experiment LXXII. 



A cannula was placed in the aorta, and another in the vena cava of a 

 frog. All branches were tied, the heart excised, and placed in connexion 

 with H. P. Bowditch's apparatus for keeping a stream of serum circula- 

 ting through the heart and recording its pulsation by means of a mano- 

 meter on a revolving cylinder. When fed with pure serum, the heart's 



