SNAKE-POISON LITERATURE, 127 



line principle. He says : " the poison has been 

 examined by several chemists, but until of late 

 years with a negative result. The writer was the 

 first to isolate, in 1876, a crystalline principle 

 which appears to be the sole active ingredient ; 

 the yellow granules were dissolved in water, the 

 albumen which the venom so copiously contains 

 coagulated by alcohol, and separated by infiltra- 

 tion ; the alcohol was then driven oif at a gentle 

 heat, the liquid concentrated to a small bulk, and 

 precipitated with basic acetate of lead. The 

 precipitate was separated, washed, and decom- 

 posed in the usual way by S. H2., and on remov- 

 ing the lead sulphide, crystals having toxic 

 properties were obtained." Gautier declared that 

 he found an alkaloid in cobra-poison resembling 

 a ptomaine. But considerable advances in the 

 chemical analysis of the venoms have lately been 

 made, and will hereafter receive attention. It 

 is said that cobra-poison is the most powerful 

 animal poison in existence, but after my expe- 

 rience with the ptomaine, which is generated in 

 the bowels of persons suffering from cholera,* 



* There is a marked resemblance, in some respects, 

 between tlie symptoms of cAoiero ptomaine poisoning 

 and cobra-poisoning. 



