18 Professor Halfwd. 



that it is altered, there can be no doubt ; and in poison- 

 ing of the lower animals, at all events, by the viperidse, 

 its coagulability after death is generally destroyed, 

 whilst after death by poisoning by the colubrine 

 snakes, the blood is generally coagulated. It is to 

 be observed, that in most recorded cases of post-mortem 

 examinations of human beings who have died from 

 snake- bite (whether colubrine or viperine), the blood 

 is noted to have remained fluid after death. I cannot 

 reconcile this with the condition of the blood in 

 animals, which is, as I have stated, usually coagulable 

 after death from coin brine poisoning, but fluid after 

 death from viperine poisoning. Further examination 

 is needed." 



On referring to Fayrer, I find the conditions of 

 the blood stated in thirty-eight cases where it was 

 fluid after death. Of these, five were from viperine 

 bites, and thirty- three colubrine. 



In my former experiments on dogs, and in those 

 lately performed with colubrine snakes, viz., black 

 snake, tiger snake, and copperhead, the blood remained 

 fluid, and showed the changes I had previously 

 described. 



Microscopical Examination of the Blood, by Dr. 

 Fayrer and Dr. Macnamara Cobra Poison 

 Pup Inoculated Died in Six Hours. 



"The blood was examined shortly after death with 

 Professor Macnamara's -^ and ^ inch object glass. 

 The red corpuscles were shrivelled and crenate. No 

 indications existed of new cell formations containing 



