128 INDIAN SNAKE POISONS, 



It is a very significant fact that whereas carbolic acid, 

 ■which is peculiarly destructive to bacteria and to lowly 

 organisms, and has great efficacy in preventing their 

 appearance, only caused very slight retardation, that on 

 the other hand potassium permanganate, which has great 

 powers of oxidation when placed in organic solutions, 

 rendered the poison harmless. When a solution of 

 cobra-poison is mixed with a solution of potassium 

 permanganate, a considerable rise of temperature imme- 

 diately takes place — as much as five or six degrees 

 centigrade (9° to 10°'8 F.) being often noticed. This 

 is, of course, a sign of great chemical activity; the 

 solution becomes thick and of a dark brown colour. 

 A very great impairment of its physiological properties 

 is at once observed. But so sensitive are birds to the 

 least trace of unchanged cobra-venom that the poison 

 must be kept exposed to the action of the permanganate 

 for a very considerable time before the whole of the 

 poison is completely decomposed. 



As it was found that potassium permanganate does 

 destroy the poison, steps were taken to see if it would be 

 of any practical use in the treatment of animals sufiering 

 from snake-bite. It was found by experiment that a 

 considerable quantity of potassium permanganate, dis- 

 solved in a weak saline solution, could be injected into 

 the circulation of an animal without producing any 

 immediate effect. A dog, therefore, was taken suffering 

 from cobra-poison. Through a cannula, placed in its 



