VENOM INJECTED INTO THE MUSCLES. 513 



with Puff Adder venom under the skin, the muscles were not 

 affected at all, and there was no haemorrhage in any of the organs 

 or into the body cavities. The only haemorrhage which occurred 

 was between the skin and the muscles of the thigh which had 

 been injected. In some cases the haemorrhage could be traced 

 to the top of the thigh and a little way up the side. Even in 

 those fowls which were injected with four drops of venom, and 

 which subsequently died, there was a total absence of haemorrhage 

 into the muscles of the injected part, or of other parts of the body. 

 This cannot be attributed to the fowls dying too rapidly, or the 

 full effect of the haemorrhagin principle of the venom to exert 

 a toxic influence, for the majority survived from twelve hours to 

 three and even four days. 



Venom Injected into the Muscles. 



A number of fowls were taken, and into the thigh of each 

 three drops of Puff Adder venom, mixed with a teaspoonful of 

 pure water, was injected deep into the muscular tissue. Some 

 of the fowls died in two hours, and none survived more than 

 four and a half hours. In all cases from the first five minutes 

 after injection till death, the fowls moped, but were not insensible 

 tiU the last five minutes of life. Several other fowls were injected, 

 each with two drops of venom mixed with a little pure water. 

 The fowls all died within seven hours. Most of them were dead 

 in four hours. 



In the post-mortem on those which were injected with three 

 drops of venom, severe haemorrhage was seen to have taken place 

 into the muscles of the injected leg, as well as up the side and into 

 the body cavities. The muscles of the leg were saturated \^•ith 

 blood which had oozed through the walls of the vessels, and 

 presented a soft, pulpy horrible appearance, as is the case when 

 the Puff Adder inflicts a normal bite into the muscles of its victim. 

 In those which were injected with two drops of venom, the 

 haemorrhage, although extensive, both in the muscular tissue 

 and under the skin, was not so great, owing to the lesser quantity 

 of venom. 



Conclusions. 



These experiments go to show that Puff Adder venom if 

 injected just under the skin, and not into the muscular tissue, is 



2 L 



