130 THE LAND-MABKS OF 



Circumstances The blood appears to remain fluid after death 



under which 



blood remuna under the circumstauces noted below : — 



nuid alter 



°*' ■ 1st. When a large quantity of the cobra- 



poison has been directly injected into the circula- 

 tion, as for example into an artery or a vein, 



2nd. In cases where animals or human beings 

 have been poisoned by the bite of vipers, such as 

 the Russell's viper. 



3rd. In all cases of snake-bite, whether from 

 the poisonous' colubrine or viperine genera, in the 

 human subject. 



The blood undergoes either partial or complete 

 coagulation under the following conditions : — 



1st. When a small quantity only of the cobra- 

 poison has been injected into a vein or an artery. 



2nd. In cases where the lower animals have 

 been bitten by the cobra. 



Why the admixture of a large and quickly 

 fatal injection of the cobra-virus into the circu- 

 lation of animals should produce comparatively 

 permanent fluidity of the blood, or interfere with 

 its ordinary coagulability soon after removal from 

 the body, or after death, and why the injection 

 of a smaller and more slowly fatal quantity should 

 interpose no obstacle to its speedy coagulation, 



