26 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



In cold-blooded animals the muscular system retains its irritability 

 for a considerable time after death, so that this cannot be due to its 

 loss. The first effect of the venom being to depress the vital energy 

 of the heart and nerve centres, a resort to stimulants is clearly indi- 

 cated as the only rational mode, in our present state of knowledge, 

 of early constitutional treatment. In chronic poisoning, death is due 

 to the continued influence of venom on the heart and nerve centres, 

 and to secondary alterations of the blood and tissues. In these cases 

 the fibrin of the blood is more or less dissolved, and the corpuscles are 

 rarely and slightly altered, and not at all in animals which die soon 

 after being bitten. The venom produces changes analogous to those 

 in cases of yellow fever and some other maladies. 



These conclusions rest on a series of apparently well-devised and 

 carefully-executed experiments. They are principally original results, 

 and the whole paper must, therefore, be considered a valuable addition 

 to our knowledge of this interesting subject. 



Attached to the memoir is an appendix containing an enumeration 

 of the genera and species of rattlesnakes, with synonomy and refer- 

 ences by E. D. Cope; also, a full bibliography of the subject by the 

 author, with critical and analytical notices of the works mentioned; 

 and this, with the authorities given by Mr. Cope, furnishes a complete 

 list of all writers either on the natural history, or on the anatomy, 

 physiology, and toxicology of venomous serpents in general. The 

 paper is illustrated with wood cuts, and the author acknowledges his 

 indebtedness to this Institution for aid in procuring the serpents which 

 were essential to his investigations. 



Professor Bache has presented for publication the second of his 

 series of discussions of the magnetic observations made at Girard 

 College between the years 1840 and 1845. Part 1 of this series, 

 which is described in the last report, related to the investigation of the 

 eleven-year period, or that which is coincident with the recurrence of 

 frequency of the spots on the sun, and to other variations of the needle 

 connected with solar action. The present paper relates to the influ- 

 ence of the moon on the variation of the magnetic needle. 



The existence of a sensible lunar effect on the magnetism of the 

 earth has been established by the labors of Sabine and others ; it is, 

 however, of much importance to confirm and extend their results by 

 the discussion of independent observations. In the previous paper 

 the method was shown by which the several influences of the sun were 

 eliminated from the observations, leaving residuals from which the 

 lunar influence could be deduced, the method being that followed by 



