SNAKE-POISON AND ITS ACTION. 31 



mimetic play. The cornea is dull, and, together with 

 the anterior surface of the eyeball, becomes dry, as 

 the eyelids are moved imperfectly, if at all, and the 

 tears in consequence are not properly distributed over 

 the conjunctiva. The nostrils become more or less 

 immovable, and the naso-labial fold is obliterated, 

 whilst the lower lip hangs down. The lips are apart, 

 as the lower jaw is not held up by the muscles. When 

 paralysis supervenes it drops entirely, and the tongue 

 protrudes. 



Deglutition, somewhat difficult in paresis, is com- 

 pletely suspended in the paralytic stage, through 

 paralysis of the soft palate, the pharjaix, and oeso- 

 phagus. Liquids forced on the patient in this 

 extremity may partly flow down the oesophagus, but 

 will also enter the larynx, and their administration 

 should be carefully avoided. 



D. Action on motor-centres of Cerebellum and 

 Basal Ganglia. 



Of this action little if anything is patent to obser- 

 vation. A certain want of co-ordination in the move- 

 ments has been noticed in the early stage of paresis, 

 and the peculiar staggering walk of persons in this 

 stage is probably owing to an affection of the motor- 

 centres of the cerebellum. That they do not escape 

 the action of the subtle poison, when symptoms denot- 

 ing the invasion of all the other motor-centres through- 



