208 VENOMOUS SNAKES AND THE PHENOMENA OF THEIR VENOMS 



In certain cases there is extensive lesion of fatty degeneration and in parts 

 numerous small foci of total destruction of hepatic tissue. The liver of the 

 dog is very sensitive and the microscopic structure of parenchyma may some- 

 times be completely destroyed. There is no lobular disposition to be further 

 distinguished ; the trabecules are broken up and only confused agglomeration 

 of the cells in the extravasated blood can be made out. 



With the animals which lived a long time after venomization there are also 

 some changes in the biliary tract. The epithelial cells are subjected to fatty 

 degeneration. In dog and other small mammals there are infiltrations of 

 mononuclear cells between the epithelia of the biliary canalicules. The 

 latter may sometimes be tumefied, swollen, or vacuolated. Thus the histo- 

 logical changes of the liver are fatty degeneration, necrosis, and the infiltration 

 of lymphocytes in the biliary tract. 



ACTION OF SNAKE VENOM UPON THE KIDNEY. 



This organ is also very susceptible to the action of venom. The glomerula 

 are affected in their three parts. The blood-vessels in the cortex are static 

 and their walls are sometimes ruptured, causing the escape of blood into the 

 capsular cavity. The capsular cavity is filled up with granular exudate. The 

 epithelial coat of Bowmann's capsule is bulged and the nucleus stains badly. 



In the tubule contorts the cellular lesions present a great analogy to those 

 of the liver. There are granulations and vacuolation, and the nucleus be- 

 comes diffuse. Their lumen is filled with the necrotic cell debris. Similar 

 obliterations occur in the Henle" loops. 



In the straight tubes and collecting tubes the epithelia are sometimes 

 detached in blocks. Some of these canals are obliterated with granular 

 cylinders or by the swelling of the epithelial cells. 



The vessels in the renal parenchyma are always distended and sometimes 

 ruptured, resulting in small foci of interstitial haemorrhage. It is not un- 

 common for the extravasated blood to destroy the parenchyma. 



In case of pseudechis poisoning there are frequently radial haemorrhages 

 in the cortex, acute necrosis of epithelium lining the convoluted tubes. The 

 haemoglobin from the disintegrated corpuscles exhibits an abnormal tendency 

 to crystallize, and this sometimes happens in the tubules of the kidney to such 

 an extent as to block the greater number. 



ACTION OF SNAKE VENOM UPON THE LUNGS. 



In the lungs venom produces numerous small impacts, around which are 

 seen capillaries much dilated and the pulmonary vesicules are rendered very 

 small. 



ACTION OF SNAKE VENOM UPON THE SPLEEN. 



Nowak observed only a slight degree of fatty degeneration in the spleen in 

 those cases where the lesions in the liver and kidney were very advanced and 

 extensive. 



