124 OW THE POISON 



It may be proper in genera] to obferve, that in all 

 tbefe experiments, the part bitten did not fwell nor 

 InHame, a livid mark could be diftinguiOied where the 

 tooth entered, but could be traced only for a very 

 little- way. When the wounds were fcarified, they 

 bled little or none at all j but before death they 

 commonly bled freely, and the fcarifications were ex- 

 ceedingly difcoloured. 



In all the dogs which were opened, the blood was 

 found to be in a fluid flate. Upon examining, after 

 death, thofe animals which died by the poifon of the 

 viper, the Abbe' Font an a commonly obferves, that 

 he found the blood coagulated about the heart and 

 larger veffels. My experience has not confirmed this 

 obfervation, which I attribute to the great difference 

 in point of ftrength pofTefied by the venom of the 

 fnake made ufe of in the preceding experiments. In 

 thofe cafes where the poifon a^ted rapidly, the blood 

 when emptied from the veffels, fliewed no difpofition 

 to coagulate, and feemed to be of a darker colour 

 than natural : but in thofe cafes where the animals 

 died more flowly, the blood readily coagulated on ex- 

 pofure to the atmofphere. It is not foreign to the 

 prefent fubjecl to obferve, that while the poifon of 

 ferpents in mingling with the blood, has a ftrong 

 tendency to prevent its coagulation, it on the con- 

 trary more readily coagulates in thofe animals, who 

 have breathed pure oxygen air.* 



These experiments will perhaps ferve little other 

 purpofc than to prove the quick and deftructive ope- 

 ration of the poifon of this kind of ferpent, and of 

 the inefiicacy of the molt celebrated remedies which 

 have been hitherto difcovered. It is certain however 

 that upon larger animals the progrefs would have 

 been neither lb rapid nor deftruciive,^ and uf)on the 

 human body it is alfo probable that remedies might 



» 

 • Bed DOES on faftitiaus air«. 



have 



