SNAKE-POISON AND ITS ACTION. 33 



serious cases it quickly assumes that form. Vice versa 

 the deepest coma becomes sleep again, when the 

 suspended function of the cortical centres is roused by 

 strychnine injections The insensible and completely 

 paralysed patient usually announces the gradual return 

 of consciousness by a few groans and uneasy move- 

 ments and not unfrequently begins to snore, as in 

 ordinary sleep, when a smart shake at the shoulder 

 will rouse him into full consciousness. At other times 

 this transition from coma back to sleep does not take 

 place and consciousness returns quite suddenly, the 

 persons opening their eyes and looking around them, 

 dazed and bewildered, but perfectly conscious at once. 

 When coma is fully established and the largest and 

 most powerful motor-centres have succumbed to the 

 insidious poison, general paresis becomes general 

 paralysis and all the motor-centres of the body are in 

 a condition of more or less suspended functional 

 activity. This and this only is the condition of the 

 centres, the whole secret of snake-poison, that has 

 puzzled the human mind for ages and yet appears so 

 simple when discovered at last. It is beautifully and 

 strikingly illustrated in the phenomena before us. We 

 have coma and complete general paralysis, every 

 motor-nerve cell, from the highest psycho-motor one 

 downwards, is thrown into a state of torpor and has 

 ceased to discharge the life force that regulates every 

 process of life and the entire absence of which inevit- 

 ably must be death. Only weak, lingering currents 

 are sent forth yet and put off the inevitable finale for 



