76 THE POISONOUS SNAKES OP INDIA. 



THE COBRA. 

 Toxic's of Cobra Venom.* 

 Chemical formula C34 Hjo O52 (Faust). 



(1) Toxins operating on nerve cells. — 



(a) A depressor that paralyses the respiratory centre. 

 (Brunton and Fayrer.) 



(&) A depressor to the vasomotor centre. (Lamb.) 



(c) A depressor that paralyses centres in the bulb. (A. -J. 



Wall.) 



(d) A depressor that paralyses the ends of nerves including 



the phrenic nerves. (Brunton and Fayrer.) 



(e) A destructive agent to cells generally in the spine and 



cord. (Lamb and Hunter.) 



(2) A direct stimulant to cardiac muscle. (Brunton and Fay- 



rer, Fraser and Elliot.) 



(3) A vaso constrictor. (Brunton and Fayrer.) 



(4) Toxins affecting the constitution of the blood. — 



(a) An antifibrin ferment that reduces clotting of blood. 



(Brunton and Fayrer.) 

 (&) " Haemolysin " destructive to red blood cells. (Hilson, 



Ragotzi.) 



(c) " Leucolysin " destructive to white blood cells. (Flexner 



and Noguchi.) 



(d) An antibactericidal principle that destroys the normal 



activity that blood exhibits towards the invasion of 

 germs into the body. (Flexner and Noguchi.) 



(5) Toxins destructive to other cell elements. — 



(a) " Htemorrhagin " destructive to the lining membrane 



of arterioles. (Flexner.) 

 (h) Agents destructive to cells at the seat of injury. 



* Because many of these elements have received special names according to their 

 specific action it must not be inferred— in this or in other venoms — that each is a 

 separate toxic entity. On the contrary it is probable that the element in cobra 

 venom that operates on the respiratory centre (neurotoxin) is also the destructive 

 agent to the red-blood cells, in which case the name '" hjemolysin " should be 

 suppressed. Possibly other elements have a dual or even a triple action. 



