POISON OF SOME INDIAN VENOMOUS SNAKES. 55 



over them. The temperature of the room was moderately warm. 

 The poisoned muscle underwent no change. Both muscles 

 gradually dried up ; but at no time could one be distinguished 

 from the other, except by the label on the watch-glass. 



The influence of cobra-poison in causing decomposition within 

 the body is evident from the following experiment. 



Experiment XXXV. 



January 17th. — About three drops of cobra-poison were 

 injected under the skin of the flank of a guinea-pig at 12.48 p.m. 

 Immediately afterwards the guinea-pig became restless and 

 cried. In two minutes its head began to twitch. An hour after 

 the injection the animal was quiet, and little or no effect of the 

 poison could be observed. Three hours after the injection it 

 did not seem very well. Next morning it was found dead. On 

 examining it 22 hours after the injection it had begun to 

 undergo decomposition. The abdomen was somewhat inflated, 

 and sulphuretted hydrogen issued from it when opened. The 

 hair came off readily from all parts of the animal's skin. The 

 muscles were soft. There was little ecchymosis at the spot 

 where the injection had been made. The tissues near it were 

 rather watery. The heart was contracted ; the lungs somewhat 

 congested. 



Action on the Nervous System. 



The most prominent symptoms of an affection of the 

 nervous system after the bite of a cobra, or other venomous 

 snake, in animals or man, are depression, faintness, lethargy, 

 and in some cases, somnolence. There is loss of co-ordinating 

 power, and paralysis, sometimes affecting the hind legs first and 

 creeping over the body, sometimes affecting the whole body at 

 once. Death occurs by failure of the respiration, and is 

 preceded by convulsions. 



These symptoms clearly point to paralysis either of the 

 nervous centres or of the peripheral nerves. It may be 

 supposed that the mention of the latter alternative is super- 

 fluous, and that paralysis of the peripheral nerves cannot 

 produce such symptoms, which must therefore, by exclusion, be 



