294 



NATURE 



[Feb. 12, 1874 



' ' In reply to your letter, I beg to say that I have long been of 

 opinion that the Existing Education Department, and all our 

 Public and Literary Institutions should be placed under the 

 general supervision of a responsible Minister. In Parliament I 

 was generally incline<l to favour the expenditure of money for 

 scientific objects vifhen the Government thought proper to 

 sanction them ; and an Arctic expedition, and various re- 

 searches, unremunerative in a pecuniary sense, might fairly fall 

 into the list of such objects." 



In' June last year Prof O. C. Marsh, the discoverer of 

 Dinoceras and Brontotheriuni, started on a five months' geological 

 expedition to the Rocky Mountain regions and the Pacific coast, 

 to study, as he had done on previous occasions, the Cretaceous 

 and Tertiary formations, which are there so rich in vertebrate 

 remains. From Fort McPherson, Nebraska, they proceeded to 

 Niobrara under the escort of two companies of United States 

 cavalry, which were indispensable on account of the hostile 

 position of the Indian tribes. Among the other places visited 

 were Fort Bridger, Wyoming ; Idaho and Oregon ; Colorado 

 and Kansas. The expedition was veiy successful, and the 

 collections procured were large, containing many new forms. 

 It is much to be regretted that no English geologists have ac- 

 companied Prof. Marsh, as most of the fossils peculiar to the 

 regions he is exploring, are quite unknown in tliis country, 

 except from descriptions. 



There will be held at Christ Church, O.xford, on Saturday 

 February 28, an election to a Junior Studentship in Physical 

 Science, tenable for five years from the day of election. It will 

 be of the annual value either (i) of loo.-'. (inclusive of an allow- 

 ance foi room rent), if the Governing Body shall so determine ; 

 or (2) of 851^. (also inclusive of an allowance for room rent), 

 which sum may be raised to the larger sum above-named after 

 the completion of one year's residence, if the Governing Body 

 shall so determine. Candidates must call on the Dean on 

 Wednesday, Februai-y 18, at 1.30 P.M. The examination will 

 follow at 2 r.M. Candidates must not have exceeded the age of 

 20 on the 1st of January last, and must produce certificates bolh 

 of the day of their birth, and of good character. Papeis will 

 be set in Chemistry, Physics, and Biology; but candidates will 

 not be expected to offtr themselves for examination in all these 

 subjects. 



Prof. Cope has recently explored the beds of the late terliaiy 

 formation, called Pliocene, as it occurs in north-east Colora do. 

 He discovered twenty-one species of vertebraia, mostly mam- 

 mals, of which ten were new to science. Four are cainivora, 

 six horses, four camels, two rhinoceroses, one a mastodon, &c. 

 The most important anatomical results attained are that all 

 the horses of the formation belong to the three-toed type, and 

 that the camels possess a full series of upper incisor teeth. The 

 discovery of a mastodon, of the M. ohioliciis type, constitutes an 

 important addition to the fauna. One of the horses is distin. 

 guished by its large head and slender legs, much longer than in 

 the common horse. -\ full account of these results will shortly 

 appear in the report of Dr. Hayden's Geological Survey of 

 Color.ado. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Suricate (Sicricata scnic) from S. Africa 

 and a West African Python {Pyllion scht], presented by Mr' 

 J. H. Coonley ; a Feline Douracouli {Nyclipitluxus fcliniis] from 

 Brazil, presented by Mr. G. Holhs ; a common Kingfisher 

 (Alcedo ispida), British, presented by Mr. A. Yates ; a Collared 

 Fruit Bat (Cynonycleius collaris), an Axis Deer {Ccr-nns axis), 

 and a Molucca Deer (C. inoluccensis), bom in the Gardens ; two 

 De Fillippi's Meadow Starlings [^lurneHa de flifpi) irom K\o 

 de la Plata, received in exchange. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 



Royal Society, Jan. 22. — "On the Physiological Action of 

 the poison of Naia ti-ipndians and other Indian Venomou; 

 Snakes," II., by Drs. Brunton and Fayrer. 



The results of these investigations show that the poison of the 

 cobra is similar in its action to thatof Ophiophagus, Bungarus, and 

 other Colubrine snakes, whilst that of Daboia is similar to the 

 virus of Echis, the Trimeresuri, and other viperinc snak es, the chief 

 difference between them being the greater tendency in the 

 viperine poison to cause hcemorrhage or more sevei'e local symp- 

 toms. The blood of animals killed by the viperine snakes 

 generally remains fluid after death, whilst that of animals killed 

 by colubrine snakes form a firm coagulum. 



The conditions caused by the action of the poison are illus- 

 trated by the symptoms manifested by man and the lower ani- 

 mals. The Cotira, Ophiophagus Ilydrophidcc, and Bungarus 

 are all very deadly. The Viperine Daboia, and Echis are 

 scarcely less so, whilst the Indian Crotalit'ce, such as the Tri- 

 meresuri, are much less so. A series of experiments is detailed 

 which illustrate the physiological action of the virus on the 

 nervous system, the muscles, the blood, the respiration, the 

 circulation, and the function of excretion, and also the mode in 

 which death is produced. 



The fatal action is shown to be due (l) to arrest of the respira- 

 tion by paralysis of the muscular apparatus, by which that 

 function is carried on. (2) Or by rapid arrest of the heart's 

 action, in cases where the poison has found direct entry by a 

 vein, t'.o. theju.ular. In such, death is almost instantaneous, 

 and the heart is found to have ceased to beat when in systole. 

 The physiological import of this is very interesting and im- 

 portant, and it was demonstrated by Dr. Brunton, who ex- 

 plained its probable mode of action in certain ganglionic 

 centres in the heart ; a subject which gave rise to some discus- 

 sion ; (3) or death may be due to a combination of arrest of 

 respiration and of the heart's action ; (4) or it may be due where 

 the quantity of poison is small, or its quality less active, to secon- 

 dary causes of the nature of other septicaemia, a purely patho- 

 logical question not discussed. 



The mode in which paralysis of respiration (the ordinary form 

 of death) is induced, has been most thoroughly investigated, and 

 it may be said ihat the question is now settled. 



The virus absorbed into the blood either by inoculation into 

 the areolar tissue, or by application to a mucous membrane, 

 affects the cerebro-spinal nerve-centres, the nerves and their 

 peripheral distribution, more especially of the motor nerves. 

 The sensory nerves are less and later allec ed, and the intelligence 

 generally latest of all, and slightly. The complete loss of it, and 

 the convulsions which precede death, is mainly caused 1 

 the circulation of venous blood, the result of the impeded res] 

 ration. 



Muscular force and co-ordination are gradually lost ; paralysis 

 and asphyxia being the evidence thereof. In ordinary cases, the 

 heart goes on beating vigorously long after apparei t death, and 

 with artificial respiration, may be kept up for many hours. 



The investigations recorded, were made with cobra and 

 daboia poison, sent to England from Bengal in the dried state, 

 a condition in which it resembles gum arable, and its activity is 

 great. The animals experimented on were dogs, cats, rabbits, 

 guinea-pigs, fowls, pigeons, sma:l birds, frogs. Its action on all 

 these, and the mode in which functions and tissues aie affected, 

 are recoided in detail, as well as the extent 10 which the action 

 of the poison is modified when introduced through dilferent 

 channels. 



It has now been clearly shown that the poison acts, when 

 introduced into the stomach, or when applied to a mucous or 

 serous membrane. The idea that it was only effective when in- 

 jected directly into the blood, is erroneous. It is, no doubt, 

 more certainly ami rapidly fatal when it enters the blood direct. 



It is also shown that it may be eliminated by the excreting 

 organs, and that there is, therefore, reason to hope that life may 

 be saved if it can be artificially sustained long enough to admit 

 of complete elimination being accomplished, as in the case of 

 curare poisoning ; but from the more complex action of the 

 cobra poison this remains a subject of doubt. 



By artificial respiration the circulation has been maintained, 

 bolh here and in India, by Dr. Ewatt and Mr. Richards, for many 

 hours ; and in one case, after complete paralysis had occurred, 

 symptoms of reaction and elimination were obtained ; but no 



