THE VENOM OF THE AUSTRALIAN BLACK SNAKE. 261 
solution of their ‘‘ venom-peptone” (albumose). Wall showed 
that heating to 100° C. lessened the virulence of Cobra venom. 
Kanthack denies that boiling ordinary Cobra poison diluted with 
water momentarily diminishes its toxic power and gives three 
experiments to prove this, and remarks ‘These three examples 
may suffice.” As three experiments performed in the same manner 
with Black snake venom gave a similar result, but on repeating 
with the more accurate method previously mentioned, showed a 
marked deterioration in power, we cannot help thinking that if | 
Dr. Kanthack repeated his experiments with similar precautions 
he might obtain the same result as Dr. Wall. The effect of rais- 
ing the temperature of the venom of the Indian viper to 100° C. 
entirely does away with the direct effect of that poison on the 
nervous system, as Wall has shown. 
Dr. Sidney Martin’s results with abrus-albumose and the albu- 
> are exactly analogous, 
moses produced by “ Anthrax-digestion ’ 
the former being especially sensitive, so that raising the solution 
to 85° C. rendered a lethal dose harmless, while at the same time 
no chemical change could be detected. 
The action of caustic potash appears to be very much the same 
on Black snake venom as that observed by Weir Mitchell, Wall, 
and Vincent Richards with Crotalus, and Cobra venoms. When 
the poison is mixed with twice its weight of caustic potash dissolved 
in a few drops of distilled water, and then injected subcutaneously, 
a fatal dose fails to produce any effect. If however the mixture 
be introduced into the vascular system a fatal result follows, but 
the time which elapses before death is immensely increased. A 
few experiments illustrate these points. _ 
zo grain dried Black snake poison was dissolved in ‘5 c. cm. of 
a1 solution of Na. Cl. and injected subcutaneously into the thigh 
of a rabbit. This animal died in four hours, twelve minutes. 
yo grain Black snake poison and 52; grain KHO dissolved in ‘5 
c. cm. 1% Na. Cl. solution injected into thigh of a rabbit as in 
previous experiment. No effects followed. 
