THE ACTION OF VENOMS UPON RESPIRATION. 119 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE ACTION OF VENOMS AND THEIR ISOLATED GLOBULINS AND 

 PEPTONES UPON RESPIRATION. 



Section I. — Pure Venom. 



In our experiments on respiration rabbits were always used, and the rate of 

 breathing was recorded on a revolving drum by the lever of a Marey's tambour, the 

 latter being connected with the animal by means of a tracheal tube. The injections 

 in all of the experiments, excepting two, which were subcutaneous, were made into 

 the external jugular vein. 



In experiments on normal animals we observed no qualitative difference in the 

 several venoms used. Ten experiments were made upon normal animals : four 

 with the venom of the Crotalus adamanteus ; three with that of the Moccasin, 

 pisciwrus, and three with that of the Cobra. In eight of these experiments there 

 was a primary increase in the respiration rate followed by a diminution far below 

 the normal, while in two the respirations were at once diminished, and became per- 

 sistently slower until death. In both of these cases death occurred very soon after 

 injection, indicating a most profound action of the poison. 



Action of the Pure Venoms on the Respirations in Normal Animals. 

 Experiment No. 1. 



Length of 



Time : 



Respirations 



eun 



min. sec. 



per minute. 



m. n 





84 



10 



10 



180 



16 



40 



84 



12 



1 



96 





2 20 



108 





4 50 



"72 



8 



6 50 



72 



6 



8 50 



60 



6 



10 50 



48 





11 20 



40 



4 



11 50 



24 



4 



12 20 



26 





REMARKS. 



Normal ... 84 10 Injected intravenously 0.002 gram dried venom of the 



Crotalus adamanteus dissolved in 1 c. c. distilled 

 water. 



Convulsive movements. 



12 50 ... ... Dead. 



