SNAKE-POISON LITERATURE. 



163 



examine and estimate the value of these ex- 

 periments and cases. As to the experiments : — ■ 

 Experiment 1. — A dog, not weighed, was inocu- 

 lated in several places with rattle-snake poison 

 sent from America. Neither the age nor the quan- 

 tity of poison inoculated, nor the mode of inocu- 

 lation resorted to, is mentioned. Twenty-four 

 hours after the inoculation of the poison, the 

 dog was motionless, " the heart's action could 

 only occasionally be felt ; then it was of the 

 feeblest ; and the general opinion was that the 

 dog was dying." Ten minims of ammonia were 

 injected. Half an hour afterwards, ten minims 

 more were injected. " From this time he gradual- 

 ly recovered, taking a little food in two or three 

 hours." There is no doubt that this animal was 

 poisoned, but certainly not necessarily fatally so, 

 as Dr. Halford most unwarrantably concludes. 

 I cannot demonstrate this more forcibly than 

 by quoting a case described by Dr. S, Weir 

 Mitchell — a much more serious one. 



Note that in Dr. S. Weir Mitchell's case the 

 symptoms of poisoning were very grave and 

 rapidly manifest. Says Dr. Mitchell: — "The 

 next case, and the last of this kind, I have placed 

 alone ; because it has especial value as showing 



Bxperlment? 

 critically 

 examined. 



Dr. Mltchell'i 



case of snake. 



poisoning 



ending in 



recovery. 



