130 INDIAN SNAKE POISONS, 



class of substances ■which also have the power of 

 rendering cobra-poison inert. It is the class of 

 metallic salts capable of precipitating albumen. The 

 following experiment gives an instance in point. 

 Experiment VI. 



To one-tenth of a cubic centimetre of distilled water, 

 containing one milligramme of dried cobra-poison, was 

 added one cubic centimetre of a solution of silver nitrate 

 containing five centigrammes ('77 grain) of the silver 

 salt. After the solutions had been thoroughly mixed, 

 they were injected into a fowl. No symptom whatever 

 followed. 



To this class belongs gold chloride, mercuric chloride, 

 and many similar bodies. The only essential conditions 

 to observe are that the salt should be in great excess of 

 the poison, and that time should be allowed for the 

 whole precipitate to form. 



But other bodies, also capable of precipitating albumen, 

 have the same destructive effect as these metallic salts. 

 If to a solution of cobra-poison tannic acid be added 

 till no further precipitate can be thrown down, the 

 resultant fluid- has no physiological efifect. , 



Various statements have been made by different 

 observers about the action of alcohol on snake-poison. 

 The following are the chief results : — If to a solution of 

 cobra-poison absolute alcohol be added, a white pre- 

 cipitate is thrown down. After the precipitate has%een 

 thoroughly washed with alcohol, it can be re-dissolved 



