1874.] Poison of Indian Venomous Snakes. 131 



to show us whether the nervous and muscular systems regain their 

 function after the excretion of the poison has proceeded far enough. 

 The experiments of Mr. Vincent Richards, and of a committee appointed 

 by the Government of India in Calcutta, at our suggestion, to investigate 

 the use of artificial respiration in death by snake-bite, being performed 

 under more favourable auspices, have afforded us the data which we were 

 unable to obtain from our own. In one instance, a dog was bitten by a 

 sea snake (Enhydrina bengalensis), and, two hours afterwards, died in 

 convulsions. Artificial respiration was commenced ; but, four hours after- 

 wards, the application of a galvanic current caused no muscular contrac- 

 tions ; the eyes were dry and glazed, and the body was cold. Next morn- 

 ing, about sixteen hours after the apparent death of the animal, reaction 

 commenced ; the application of a galvanic current again caused movements 

 of the body and expulsion of urine, and the bowels acted spontaneously. 

 In five hours more reaction seemed established and went on increasing ; 

 the animal appeared as if it would recover : the eyes lost their glazed ap- 

 pearance, tears were secreted, and a greenish-looking fluid flowed from 

 the mouth ; reflex action became reestablished, the eyelids closing when 

 the cornea was touched or when water was poured into the eye. At- 

 tempts to swallow were made when water was poured into the mouth ; 

 and the application of a pan of hot charcoal to the chest caused convul- 

 sive movements all over the body ; and these also occurred spontaneously. 

 The animal also became more or less sensible, and the eyelids twitched 

 when the finger was merely brought near the eye. 



These phenomena show that the muscles, the motor nerves, the secreting 

 nerves, the spinal cord, and the cerebrum had all recovered their functions 

 to a certain degree, after it had been completely abolished for sixteen 

 hours. This we think would not have been the case had the poison 

 acted by decomposing the tissues in the manner of a ferment ; and we 

 are therefore inclined to hope that, like curare, it acts only while present 

 in the system, and that its injurious effects may be arrested by its removal. 

 Notwithstanding the fair promise of recovery which the use of artificial 

 respiration gave in this instance, the heart became weaker, and the animal 

 died 24 hours and 35 minutes after its first apparent decease. Nor has 

 the Committee been more successful in its further experiments, although 

 life has been prolonged for even 30 hours. This result shows that, al- 

 though artificial respiration may still prove useful in sustaining life and 

 affording time for the use of other measures, it alone is not likely to be of 

 much service in preventing death from snake-bite, except in those cases 

 where the quantity of poison is just enough to kill and no more. 



It is evident from the length of time during which life may be main- 

 tained without the animal ultimately recovering, that the excretion of the 

 poison is very slow ; but we at one time thought to quicken it by the em- 

 ployment of diuretics and sialogogues, and to prevent reabsorption by 

 draining off the urine and saliva constantly. We also proposed to wash 



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