ACTION OF POISONS. 137 



NOTE E. (Page 59.) 



Since these experiments were published, I have 

 discovered another effect of the woorara, which 

 illustrates in a striking manner the powerful 

 influence which it exercises over the nervous 

 system, affecting the nerves of motion not less 

 than it does those of sensation. It is well known, 

 that if the spinal chord be divided transversely, 

 although the parts below the division are de- 

 prived of sensibility, nevertheless powerful con- 

 tractions of the muscles are produced by the 

 mechanical destruction of that portion of the 

 spinal chord from which their nerves are derived. 

 But if an animal be rendered insensible by the 

 woorara, and the circulation be then maintained 

 by artificial respiration, the same effect is not 

 produced by the same injury, the muscles being 

 as wholly unaffected as they would have been in 

 the dead animal. 



It has been shown by the Abbe Fontana, that 

 the poison of the viper, virulent as its effects are 

 when applied to a wounded surface, may be taken 

 into the stomach with impunity. A similar ob- 

 servation respecting the woorara has lately been 

 made by M. Bernard and M. Pelouze. The same 

 thing occurs in the case of some animals as to 

 opium. I injected a strong watery solution of 

 opium into the stomach of a rabbit, but no poi- 

 sonous effect was produced ; although a similar 



