The Action of the Ven-orn on the Blood. 11 



extravasation of blood into the anterior mediastinum 

 and into the tissues of the pericardium, but no effusion 

 into the pericardium itself. There was extravasation 

 along all the great veins, into the cellular tissue of the 

 pancreas, throughout the diaphragm, beneath the 

 peritoneum, and all over the abdomen. The interior 

 of the latter, indeed, looked exactly as if it had been 

 sprinkled over with blood. A similar condition also 

 existed in the subcutaneous cellular tissue. In fact, 

 had the history of the case not been known, it would 

 have been supposed that the animal had laboured 

 under a severe form of purpura hsemorrhagica. In the 

 neighbourhood of the wounds there was great swell- 

 ing, as well as extravasation of brownish putrid-looking 

 blood. Everything pointed to blood-poisoning." This 

 is the testimony of a most accomplished physician, 

 with whom I was well acquainted. 



The next observation I have to record is, the post- 

 mortem examination of a man who was bitten by a 

 cobra in Melbourne in April 1867. 



Dr. Mousse', then Resident Surgeon at the Melbourne 

 Hospital, at the inquest, deposed: "The deceased 

 was brought to the hospital on Sunday, at half-past 

 four o'clock in the afternoon. He was then dying, 

 and expired soon afterwards. A post-mortem examina- 

 tion showed a puncture on the second finger of the left 

 hand. The head and arms were swollen, and at the 

 seat of the puncture the wound was dark and 

 gangrenous. The cellular tissue of the arm and hands 

 was infiltrated with blood-stained serum. From all the 

 incisions made, dark fluid blood escaped. The blood 

 was very fluid, and had escaped from its vessels into 

 the tissues of the body. The cause of death was 

 poison." 



