THE ANTIDOTE. 43 



and announces, by unmistakable symptoms, when it 

 has accomplished this task, and would, if continued, 

 become a poison itself. Previous to this announcement 

 its poisonous action is completely neutralised by the 

 snake-poison, and the latter would therefore be equally 

 as efficacious in strychnine-poisoning as strychnine is 

 in snake-poisoning. Strychnine, in short, is the anti- 

 dote par excellence of snake-poison, and cannot be 

 surpassed by any other substance known to us. 



With the symptoms following the introduction of 

 the subtle ophidian virus into the human and animal 

 system so markedly pointing to strychnine as the 

 antidote, it appears a matter of surprise that it was not 

 used as such before and that it was left to the writer 

 to discover the antagonism between the two poisons. 

 Misleading experiments with the drug on animals 

 erroneously considered to be final in their results, 

 together with confused and contradictory notions about 

 the action of snake-poison, were the chief factors, 

 already pointed out, that caused research on this im- 

 portant subject to remain for centuries so barren of 

 results, and made even able investigators with more 

 correct views than the rest, postpone the discovery of 

 a physiological antidote to a more advanced state of 

 science, when all the time it was lying ready at their 

 hands. 



It is self-evident from preceding statements, that 

 in the treatment of snakebite with strychnine the 

 ordinary doses must be greatly exceeded, and that its 

 administration must be continued, even if the total 



