NATURE AND ANALYSIS OF THE POISONS. 145 
These changes in the blood I refer to germinal matter in- 
troduced from the serpent’s glands, and all the symptoms to 
such changes. This germinal matter consists of nuclei ¢;'55 
of an inch in diameter ; the fluid being either slightly acid or 
neutral.. To explain: there is little if any difference chemi- 
cally between starch and sugar, but physically they are very 
different ; little difference chemically between fibrin and albu- 
men, physically they are very different: but both starch and 
fibrin are rendered soluble by the addition of minute particles 
of germinal matter; in the first case, from the salivary glands ; 
in the second case, from the stomach. ‘True, with the latter 
is combined an acid, but without the pepsin-cells no digestion 
takes place, and what is very remarkable, a very minute quan- 
tity will convert a very large quantity of fibrin into albumen 
so long as the mixture remains acid; the pepsin-cells require 
no renewal, as they are said to determine the conversion by 
catalysis. 
A little spittle from a man’s mouth will change starch into 
sugar in one minute. This being the fact, it is unreasonable 
to claim for another gland closely allied to the salivary, an 
equal power in another direction. 
What the changes produced in the blood are, we do not 
fully know; but that which in healthy blood is called fibrin 
is diminished, digested, if you will, in the presence of ser- 
pent’s poison. If the quantity of this substance entering the 
circulation is great, the changes are greater, and chances of 
recovery less. If the animal is small its chances of recovery 
are still less; if it depends much upon oxygen, with a natu- 
rally high fibrinous blood, rapid circulation and absorption, 
it soon falls a victim; thus a bitten bird succumbs in a few 
minutes. 
If the animal be in a degree indifferent to oxygen, t.e., can 
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