SNAKE-POISON LITERATUEE. 



125 



termination, after the manifestation of serious 

 symptoms, may be attributed to the eifects of the 

 administration of reputed antidotes. The Com- 

 mission obtained some poisonous snakes from 

 Australia — the Pseudechisporphyriacus,oTh]a,ck; 

 snake, and the Hoplocephalus curtus, the tiger 

 snake. Both these snakes somewhat resemble the 

 Indian cobra, but their fangs are smaller and 

 they probably secrete less poison, and are not 

 so deadly. With the poison of these snakes the 

 Commission tested the eflEcacy of the ammonia 

 treatment advocated by Halford, but like Fon- 

 tana, Fayrer, Hilson, and myself, in regard to 

 Indian snake-poisoning, they found it useless. 

 This decision was subsequently agreed with by the 

 Melbourne Medical Society.* The Report con- 

 tains also a report of the analysis of cobra-poison 

 by Mr. Alexander Pedler, F. C. S. As regards 

 Mr. Pedler's analysis the Commission observe : — 



" So far as we are aware, this is the first time 

 that absolutely fresh cobra-poison has been sub- 

 mitted to ultimate analysis." It will be observed, 



Experinients, 



with 



Australian 



Snakes. 



Ammonia, 



* As belief in thi.? system of treatment- has not yet 

 quite died out, and as I am convinced it is most per- 

 nicious, I have dealt fully with the subject further on. 



