148 C. J. MARTIN. 
introduced into a serous sac, such as the pleural or peritoneal 
cavity, and its effects are most rapidly manifested when it 
introduced directly into a vein. Absorption of venom takes a 
from such mucous surfaces as the corneal conjunctiva. 
Whether venoms can be absorbed by the mucous membrane of : 
the alimentary canal has been much discussed. Weir Mitchell’ 
came to the conclusion from numerous experiments on pigeons, 
that Crotalus-venom was not absorbed from the crop. If howevel 
lly produced, symptoms of poisoning result 
ing in death occurred. Fayrer? and Richards,® on the other 
hand, found cobra-venom was absorbed to some extent, from the 
alimentary canal. Mitchell has confirmed these statements of 
Fayrer and Richards, but found that absorption through this . 
channel was very slow. 
Tie: Fed 
abrasions were 
I have repeated Mitchell’s experiments, to determine whether _ 
Pseudechis venom was absorbed from the alimentary canal. In ; 
my own experiments I used rats instead of pigeons. 4 
Two white rats were fed daily for one week on bread ad i 
milk, containing one hundred times a fatal dose of vend, 
supposing it to have been administered subcutaneously. 
the end of the week both rats were in excellent health. Wi ; 
half an hour after partaking of the last poisoned meal, ™ 
mucous membrane of the stomach of one of them was @ i 
abraded. This rat died in two hours thirty-five minutes 
wards with the usual symptoms of snake poisoning. : 
abrasions produced in a rat on unpoisoned diet were fol 
by no untoward symptoms. The whole of the feces of th 
rats were collected and examined for venom. The filtrate 
treated with a large excess (ten volumes) of absolute alcohol, 
the precipitate which formed allowed to remain under 
alcohol fourteen days. The precipitate was then extracted ' 
1 Researches upon the venoms of poisonous serpents. »_Smith 
——— to Knowledge, Vol. xxv1. 
“Thanatophidia of India.”—Churchill, London, 1872. 
3 “On the nature of snake poison and its action on the blood.” 
