SNAKE-POISON LITERATURE. 147 



"Passinof now to the essential point of the Lacerda'a 



, . . letter to Sir 



discussion that took place in the Medical Society, Joseph Fayrer. 

 I will give, in a few words, how I comprehend, 

 and how I judge, that the efficacious effect of 

 permanganate of potash should be comprehended. 

 You yourself, by experiments made in 1869, 

 recognized that permanganate of potash, mixed 

 with the venom, took from it its noxious proper- 

 ties. Certain conditions of the experiments led 

 you, however, to deny the efficacy of this 

 chemical agent in the cases in which the venom 

 had been inoculated in the tissues. As you know, 

 however, I have demonstrated by numerous 

 experiments and innumerable clinical facts, that 

 the neutralisation takes place even in the midst 

 of the tissues, which makes this substance a 

 chemical antidote of great value. The permanga- 

 nate of potash acts upon the venom, destroying it 

 in two ways ; first, as a powerful oxidising agent, 

 second, by the potash, that forms the base of the 

 salt, passing a current of nascent oxygen through 

 a concentrated solution of the venom, which loses 

 entirely its noxious properties. This experiment, 

 which I have repeated many times,gave me always 

 the same result. Let us suppose, now then, an in- 

 dividual is bitten. If injections are made in the 



