snakEtPoison literature. 117 



turn to London, I have, in conjunction with Dr. 

 Lauder Brunton, been making further investiga- 

 tions into the subject of snake-poisoning, espe- 

 cially with a view of ascertaining if there be any 

 means of saving life, and, though I cannot say 

 that the desirable object of research has been at- 

 tained, I am satisfied that the results of certain 

 experiments are interesting and important, as 

 they point in that direction. I have recorded an 

 opinion, derived from a long and elaborate series 

 of experiments, that none of the so-called anti- 

 dotes possess the virtues or powers attributed to 

 them ; but in the experiments recently made, it 

 is ascertained beyond a doubt that the life of an 

 animal poisoned by the cobra- virus, may be pro- 

 longed for many hours by artificial respiration^ 

 and it is, therefore, possible that, if respiration be 

 artificially continued for a sufiicient length of 

 time, life may be altogether preserved. In experi- 

 ments performed upon the fowl and rabbit, after 

 the most complete development of the physio- 

 logical action of the poison, amounting to total 

 paralysis and convulsions, conditions which 

 immediately precede death, the convulsions, 

 ceased, and in one case the heart was kept beat- 

 ing vigorously for about nine hours (and probably 



