118 THE LAND-MARKS OF 



then failed from imperfect respiration carried on 

 in the cold) — a result never before attained by 

 any means that I am aware of ! ' " I had kept a 

 dog alive for nearly twenty-four hours by artificial 

 respiration. The results obtained by artificial 

 respiration in animals subject to the action of 

 the curara, wourali poison, were calculated to en- 

 courage Dr. Fayrer to hope that similar treatment 

 might possibly succeed in restoring to health 

 animals almost dead from snake-poisoning. He 

 remarked, " There is apparently a strong analogy 

 between the action of the cobra-virus, and that 

 of the curara poison of South America. It has 

 been ascertained that an animal poisoned by 

 this agent may, after apparent death for many 

 hours, be restored, if artificial respiration be 

 carefully and continuously applied for a suflS- 

 cient length of time, the temperature of the 

 animal being at the same time sustained at 

 blood-heat by artificial warmth. Curara, it is 

 believed, kills by paralysing the peripheral 

 distribution of the motor nerves, thus inducing 

 asphyxia by involving the muscles of respiration- 

 in general paralysis. If, however, the heart's 

 action can be sustained by artificial respiration 

 during a sufficient length of time, to allow of 



