THEIR NATUEE AND EFFECTS. 131 



in water, and the solution produces all the effects of 

 cobra-poison. If dried cobra-poison, in a state of fine 

 powder, be added to absolute alcohol, and the mixture 

 be frequently agitated, the alcohol will derive no 

 poisonous property from the cobra-poison. If, however, 

 instead of absolute alcohol, rectified spirit be employed, 

 the water in the rectified spirit is capable of taking up a 

 certain amount of the poison. So, if absolute alcohol 

 be added to liquid cobra-poison as it comes from the 

 snake, a precipitate will fall which is poisonous ; but the 

 supernatant fluid is also poisonous from some of 

 the active agent being held in solution by the natural 

 fluid of the venom. That this is so, can be proved by 

 evaporating this clear supernatant fluid to a small bulk, 

 when a further addition of absolute alcohol will produce 

 a further precipitate of the poisonous agent. In other 

 words, the active agent of cobra-poison is precipitated 

 by, and is totally insoluble in, absolute alcohol; but 

 mixtures of alcohol and water ate capable of dissolving 

 a certain amount of the poison in proportion to the 

 quantity of water present. As a method of treatment, 

 alcohol is useless, except in so far as it is administered 

 on general principles as a stimulant. 



Carbolic acid, as has been shown, has some effect in 

 delaying and lessening the action of cobra-poison when 

 mixed with it, probably by decomposing some of it; for 

 the longer it remains in contact with the poison before 

 iniection, the greater is the diminution of strength. 



