theory 

 criticised. 



88 THE LAND-MARKS OF 



ticular tendency to rapid putrefaction in snake- 

 poisoning ;* not that I attach much value to 

 the fact, nor do I believe that general decom- 

 position is particularly rapid after death from 

 Mr. Boag'8 suffocation. It is true that blood remains fluid 

 if mixed with a large quantity of snake-poison, 

 but it must be remembered that in the human 

 body the relative dilution is not three to fifty, 

 but perhaps two to nine thousand six hundred. 

 The question of the condition of the blood as 

 regards fluidity is not, however, of much import- 

 ance except from a medico-legal point of view. 

 It is remarsable fact that while the blood of a 

 dog poisoned by venom coagulates after death, 

 that of a human being remains permanently fluid. 



The fourth argument is most remarkable. 

 Mr. Boag observes that a poisonous snake is 

 protected from the effects of its own poison, by 

 its physical conformation, which enables the 

 animal to live with a very small amount of 

 oxygen. Unfortunately for this argument, how- 

 ever, venomous and non-venomous snakes do 

 not differ anatomically, and yet the venom 

 of the former will kill the latter. Mr. Boag 



* I am aware that a few cases have been reported. 



