SALIVA OF THE GILA MONSTER. 205 
2.38. Violent respiration; temperature 98°. 
2.39. Violent respiration; temperature 100°. 
2.424. Violent respiration; temperature 1015°. 
2.45. Violent respiration; temperature 100°. 
2.48. Respirations about 108 per minute; temperature 99°. 
2.50. Temperature 100°. 
2.53. Respiration more labored; temperature 99°. 
2.54. Temperature 98°. 
2.55. ‘Yemperature 97°. 
2.56-57. Temperature 93°; respiration short and forced, 39 per minute. 
2.58. Wheezing; vomits. 
2.584. No motion except quivering of wings; temperature 90°. 
2.59. Wings and tail flapped twice. 
3.00. Dead. 
No local effect; small clot of blood in base of right Jung; ventricles full of black clots; auricles 
beating; arteries empty; veins dilated with blood. 
This experiment would seem to show that the action of the poison is slightly delayed 
by boiling. Experiment IV shows that such is not the case. 
Experiment [V.—Noy. 14, 1896. Ten minims of the solution used in experiments II and III 
were boiled about five minutes on Noy. 12, and again Nov. 13 and 14, and then were injected under the 
skin of a pigeon’s wing at 3.30 P.M. 
3.34. Respirations 32 per minute. 
3.37. Staggers about with peculiar circular motion. 
3.3940. Respirations 48, becoming constantly more forced, so that at end of minute tail moves up 
and down. 
3.42. Cannot stand. 
3.44-45. Respirations 49. 
3.46. Falls on side. 
3.47. Head nods; pupil seems slightly dilated. 
3.52. Respirations 47, irregular. 
3.53. Bill begins to open and shut. 
3.54. Convulsive action of wings and head, heed drawn under to breast. 
3.55. Death. 
The Effect of Decay.—When a solution of saliva is allowed to stand for a few days 
it soon begins to decay, and this process continues until a strong odor of putrescence is 
given off and a muddy sediment appears at the bottom of the liquid. After this had 
occurred, very large doses of the solution were injected into pigeons without producing the 
slightest ill-effect. Decay, then, appears to destroy the lethal power of the saliva, but 
my experiments are not absolutely conclusive because the solution was not tested while 
fresh. 
