ELIMINATION OF THE POISON. 437 



It is well known in medical science that, in cases of poisoning 

 by curari, if artificial respiration methods be resorted to after 

 the patient has ceased to breathe and lies apparently dead, he 

 can be restored. This clearly demonstrates that the poison 

 benumbs the nerve centres, but does not destroy them. 



Now, if patients can be restored by artificial respiration 

 methods after being poisoned with curari when natural breathing 

 has ceased and they lie apparently dead, such recoveries may 

 also take place with those poisoned by snake venom, especially 

 so, knowing that the heart in Cobra venom poisoning continues 

 to beat for a long time after respiration has ceased.* 



Elimination of the Poison. 



So long as the patient is breathing, the vital functions are 

 active, and the venom is being slowly overcome and cast out of 

 the body in a variety of ways ; but the instant the breathing 

 ceases, the functions of the body are suspended, the blood becomes 

 charged with poisonous waste matters, and the patient soon 

 dies, unless artificial respiration is resorted to in order to supply 

 the blood with oxygen from the air. 



If the victim of a Cobra bite sinks into unconsciousness, and 

 the breathing ceases, it indicates that the venom has completely 

 paralysed the nerve centres controlling the lungs. 



Now, if we instantly resort to artificial respiration methods, 

 or if a cannula be inserted into the windpipe, and the lungs be 

 inflated and deflated regularly, then, if the patient be not actually 

 dead, the blood will begin to circulate, the vital functions will 

 show signs of recovery, and natural breathing may, sooner or 

 later, commence. 



The object of artificial breathing in cases of snake bite is to 

 keep the body alive long enough for it to oxidize sufficient of the 

 venom to make recovery possible. As in cases of serious illness from 

 other causes, so with snake bite. A crisis comes on, and if the 

 patient can be kept alive while this terrible struggle between 

 life's forces and death is going on, by helping the resisting powers 



* According to Dr. Calmette the heart sometimes continues to beat for 

 as long as two hours after respiration has ceased. The powerful stimula- 

 tion of the centres of the heart nerves may cause this in spite of the absence 

 of oxygen in the blood. 



