108 THE LAND-MARKS OF 



The wounded muscle became almost diffluent, and 

 assumed a dark color and somewhat jelly-like 

 appearance. The same change has been noticed 

 by Brunton and Fayrer in some cases of cobra- 

 poisoning. It is in daboia-bite, however, that it is 

 Effects on more particularly observed. According to Weir 

 Mitchell, in most of the cases of acute poisoning, 

 the rhythm and force of the heart became affected 

 before the respiration was suspended, and the 

 organ continued to pulsate more or less perfectly 

 for some time after all volu^ntary and reflex 

 motion had ceased. The constant arterial pres- 

 sure undergoes a rapid and singular diminution. 

 " It is proper to add that, in some instances of 

 death, in rabbits, for example, artificial respira- 

 tion failed almost totally to sustain the cardiac 

 power, but even in these the heart remained 

 irritable to direct stimulus, and there was, con- 

 sequently, no such thorough paralysis of the 

 sarcous elements as is seen in some other poison- 

 ing." Fayrer and Brunton point out that in 

 cobra-poisoning, in what may be called sub-acute 

 cases, the fatal issue is not to be attributed to 

 any failure of the circulatory apparatus, since 

 the heart often continues to beat for some con- 

 siderable time after all reflex action has ceased. 



