NATURE AND ANALYSIS OF THE POISONS. 123 
The mingling of the venom with alcohol, sulphuric acid, 
muriatic acid, ammonia, chlorine water, iodine, soda, and 
potassa, in a diluted or undiluted state, did not destroy the 
virulence of the venom. ; 
When it was mingled with certain of these agents, such as 
iodine in solution, tannie acid, &e., the constitutional symptoms 
declared themselves as usual in the pigeons employed ; but the 
local phenomena were more or less wanting. 
The Crotalus venom has the power of preventing the ger- 
mination of canary and mignonctte seeds. 
“On several occasions,” I quote the words of Dr. Mitchell, 
“T had noticed the production of fungi in moist venom, long 
kept upon my table, in an atmosphere of from 64° to 70° 
Fahr.” “TIT have also observed in specimens long kept, and 
somewhat diluted, that after seven to ten days, the poison 
acquired an odor of a peculiar and very disgusting character, 
The production of this animalized and indescribable stench, 
was accompanied by the appearance of vibriones, and a- few 
days later, of rotiferal and other minute forms of animalcular 
life. The question was, what power yet remained in the 
venom which had become the nidus of so much active vitality ? 
I tested it on animals, and still found it actively poisonous.” 
Dr. Mitchell’s experiments give the following, as the 
Effect of the Venom upon the Crotalus.* 
“This research resolves itself into two propositions, or 
rather, questions. First, Can the Crotalus kill its own spe- 
cies? Second, Can any individual snake kill itself? 
“The first of these queries has been more or less completely 
answered, as regards certain India snakes, the Viper of 
* Researches upon the Venom of the Rattlesnake, by S. Weir Mitchell, 
p. 60. 
