Methylated Spirit on Tiger Snake Venom. 81 



Influences of Long Continued Action of Methy- 

 lated Spirit on the Venom of the Tiger 

 Snake (Hoplocephalus curtus). 



Copy of letter to Dr. C. J. Martin, of Sydney : 



"21st May, 1894. 



" MY DEAR MARTIN, Having some snakes' heads which 

 had been in spirit for the last twenty-five years (the spirit 

 had been occasionally changed), I got Mr. Price to dissect out 

 four large glands, and gradually dry them. (All the tissues 

 surrounding the glands were hardened, and the lenses were 

 opaque, while the cornese were still clear and transparent). 

 Two days afterwards the glands were opened, and a fine 

 yellowish-brown powder obtained. I was unable to dissolve 

 this powder in warm water, and therefore could not use a 

 hypodermic syringe. I then took an ordinary glass syringe, 

 and injected the whole (one grain) into the cellular tissue of 

 the abdomen of a dog. No bad results followed. The next 

 day the wound was perfectly healed, and I removed the two 

 stitches. This was three weeks ago, and he is still well. 

 Subsequently, Mr. Price dissolved some of the dried poison 

 in 25 c.c. of 1 per cent. KHO, filtered and then neutralised 

 with weak HC1. A large precipitate was obtained, suffi- 

 ciently free from particles to permit of its passing through 

 the ordinary hypodermic syringe. The whole was gradually 

 injected into the subcutaneous tissue of a rabbit. No 

 injurious effect followed, and the little thing is as lively as 

 ever. 



" I now send you the following mixture, hoping that with 

 your greater experience, you may be able to reproduce the 

 power of the venom : 



" Dried snake poison - 1 gr. 



"KHO 1 per cent. - 15 c.c. 



" KHO 10 per cent. - 2 min. 



" This was raised once only to boiling point. 



"GEORGE B. HALFORD." 



