ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY AND BLOOD-DISINTEGRATION. 103 



conclusively that this new compound yields its oxygen to re- 

 ducing agents": a point which we must here emphasize. Fur- 

 ther, Gamgee found that, when, after nitrite poisoning, this 

 chocolate blood appeared, it still ozonized prepared guaiacum- 

 paper, though not so actively as under normal conditions. 

 "Evidently then," says Professor Wood, "absorption of oxygen 

 must take place; evidently the blood-corpuscles must perform 

 their respiratory function; but evidently also they are greatly 

 crippled and impaired in the rapidity and ease of its performance. 

 Ha3iiiic respiration is, in other words, greatly interfered with, 

 but not abolished." 



We have already seen that chemistry and physiology have 

 both established these facts. The deduction that methaemo- 

 globin is a product of early blood-disintegration therefore is 

 solidly supported. An important question, however, demands 

 elucidation: What is the nature of the process? In other 

 words, how and through what process is methsemoglobin formed 

 in the organism after poisoning? 



The respiratory symptoms are stated by Lauder Brunton 

 and Fayrer 73 to be the most marked witnessed after snake- 

 bites in India. Wall 74 states that a strong dose of cobra-venom 

 causes almost instantaneous arrest of respiration; a weaker 

 dose slows it, and asphyxic symptoms follow. Viper-venom was 

 found by Phisalix to markedly affect the respiratory functions. 

 It first produced excitement, with "accelerated respiration," 

 then "somnolence, with slowing of respiration." We have here 

 distinct evidence of reduced oxidation and accumulation of 

 carbonic acid. The next step is illustrated by Carreau's already- 

 quoted observation that the Martinique fer-de-lance viper caused 

 the blood to become very dark, "prune-juice like"; the pres- 

 ence of a large proportion of methaemoglobin had been estab- 

 lished spectroscopically. Even bee-venom, in sufficient quan- 

 tity, gives rise to marked dyspnoea and "black blood," as 

 observed by Paul Bert. 



As previously shown, several drugs have been sufficiently 

 studied in this connection by investigators to indicate that 

 methaBmoglobinuria occurs after the ingestion of poisonous 



73 Lauder Brunton and Fayrer: Proceed. Royal Society, 1874. 

 7 *Wall: Quoted by Noe, iii, p. 368. 



