PATHOLOGY. 145 



20 minutes later. Animal quite ill. Red blood-disks all spheroidal when exam- 

 ined in the local lesion and in several other parts of the body. 



25 minutes later. Animal dead. 



30 minutes later. Blood examined from heart. All the red blood-disks 

 spherical. 



24 hours later. The dead animal being kept in a cool place. Red blood-disks 

 all spherical and many disintegrated. 



The blood, in sections of tissues from animals poisoned with venom, also presents 

 decided alterations. The corpuscles in tissues hardened with preserving fluid are 

 seldom seen intact. When, however, the parts in question are placed in preser- 

 vative fluid immediately after the death of the animal the spheroidal (altered) red 

 blood corpuscles may be distinguished ; and still more likely are they to be intact 

 if the animal was killed before the venom had asserted its fatal effect. 



The corpuscles as a rule appear disintegrated in animals dead from slow Crotalus 

 venom poisoning, and present themselves as a granular debris of a yellowish or dark 

 brown color. The tissue elements of the part into which the venom had been 

 directly injected are as a rule profusely saturated with the coloring matter of the 

 blood. The microscope further reveals blood crystals and numerous bacteria 

 between and within the tissue elements. This indicates the profound altera- 

 tion which takes place in the blood in venom poisoning, and accounts for the 

 black appearance and the rapid putrefactive changes which are seen in the local 

 lesion. 



"Quite recently Lacerda, in lectures 1 on snake poisons, speaks of alterations of 

 the blood, which differ much from those observed by us. He does not state the 

 serpent venom employed. It was presumably from the Bothrops urutu, Lacer. 

 In slow poisoning, he says, the blood globules become indented like a toothed 

 wheel. Some are elongated, deformed, or broken up; others present shining points 

 and then break up into minute fragments. Some undergo a change of tint to 

 chesnut brown, others become entirely discolored. 



" The consequences of mixing pure blood and pure venom, he says, are these : 

 The red blood-globules unite in mass, adhere one to the other and begin thereon 

 to lose their normal forms. In a few minutes the dissolution is complete. There 

 remains only an amorphous protoplasmic matter, semi-liquid, diffluent, of a uni- 

 form yellow color, with well-marked red striations. After some minutes the hema- 

 tine or coloring matter quite disintegrated is seen under the form of granular 

 substance of a deep Vermillion red. Whilst the globules thus break up bubbles of 

 gas rise here and there." 



We have quoted this account nearly in full to point out that it describes a 

 sequence of appearances very unlike those which we have delineated. 



Effects of the Venom upon certain Tissues. — Direct observations were further made 

 as to the effects of venoms upon the various solid tissues, such as the bloodvessel 

 walls; muscular tissue, unstriated and striated; nervous tissue (brain and medulla 



1 Legons sure le Venin des Serpentes du. Bre'sil, etc. J. B. De Lacerda, pp. 87-88. Rio de 

 Janeiro, 1884. 



19 June, 1886. 



