THEIE NATURE AND EFFECTS. 135 



The rapidity of this change can be greatly aided by a 

 high temperature. This loss of power is found to be 

 accompanied by a physical change ; for when the solu- 

 tion is no longer poisonous, acetic acid fails to throw 

 down any longer a white precipitate. Now this white 

 flaky precipitate gives the characteristic albuminoid 

 re-action with Millon's re-agent. It is reasonable, 

 therefore, to conclude, that as long as the poisonous 

 agent of cobra-venom is capable of recognition chemi- 

 cally as albumen, so long is it poisonous, and no longer. 

 Now, potash is a well-known agent for decomposing 

 albumen, and is the ordinary means for preparing leucin 

 and other derivatives from it. When, therefore, cobra- 

 poison is circulating in the system, mixed with the 

 alkali, the chemical agent is occupied in decomposing 

 it, and thus cobra-venom, instead of producing those 

 changes in the constituents of the body which are 

 necessary for its power of destruction, is, in its turn, 

 itself being destroyed. It is much to be regretted that, 

 introduced separately to the poison, potash has, like 

 potassic permanganate, no power of specially selecting 

 oobra-poison for its destructive action. It is, however, 

 a point of deep interest in general pathology, that a 

 class of substances that can produce constitutional 

 effects after sometimes prolonged incubation, can be 

 ■demonstrated to belong to the group of bodies called 

 albuminoid. 



