THEIK NATURE AND EFFECTS. 129 



saphena vein, a saline solution of permanganate of potash 

 ■was injected; but though a large quantity of the anti- 

 septic was cautiously and gradually introduced into the 

 circulation, and though at the same time life was 

 prolonged by artificial respiration, in no way was the 

 least benefit to be perceived from the remedy. The 

 reason is obvious. It is quite true that potassium 

 permanganate destroys the active agent of cobra-venom, 

 by oxidizing it ; but when introduced into the blood it, 

 of course, commences oxidizing indifferently all the 

 organic matters with which it comes in contact, but it 

 has no power of selecting one organic substance for 

 oxidation rather than another. The oxidizing power of 

 the permanganate is, therefore, exerted on the con- 

 stituents of the blood generally, instead of being reserved 

 for the cobra-poison in it alone. So, if cobra-poison ' 

 is dissolved in an organic solution, and the perman- 

 ganate is added before injection, the poison suffers little, 

 if any, diminution of strength, for the oxidation has 

 taken place chiefly at the expense of the other organic 

 matter. Thus it would be necessary to destroy all the 

 constituents of the blood by oxidation, before all the 

 prison in it could be destroyed too. If a substance 

 should be found having the power of oxidation, with a 

 special affinity for exercising it on snake-poison, the 

 problem of the treatment of snake-bite would be solved ; 

 but notassium permanganate has not this special power. 

 There is, besides potassium permanganate, a large 



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