ACTION OF POISONS. 133 



of structures, independently either of the nerves 

 or of the vascular system. A man was admitted 

 into St. George's Hospital who had been bitten 

 by a rattle-snake on the thumb and finger of one 

 hand. The immediate effect of the injury was 

 great constitutional disturbance, from which he 

 gradually recovered. Then the limb became 

 inflamed, and there was sphacelus of the cellular 

 tissue as high as the middle of the arm, followed 

 by suppuration. But, in addition to all this, 

 there were large spots of extravasation of blood 

 in the subcutaneous texture, far beyond the 

 limits to which the inflammation had extended. 

 These were observable on the back as low as 

 the hip-joint, and on the anterior part of the 

 chest, over the pectoralis major and serratus 

 anticus muscles, but they were confined altogether 

 to the side of the body on which the injury had 

 been inflicted, not extending over the median 

 line. The case has been recorded by Sir Everard 

 Home, in the Philosophical Transactions for the 

 year 1810. 



NOTE C. (Page 46.) 



The following observations are extracted from 

 the 27th volume of the Medical and Physical 

 Journal, in which they were inserted, as I have 



K 3 



