after Death from Snake-bite. 85 
I shall have presently to refer to one authentic case of 
cholera, in which a new cell-formation existed in the blood. 
Is it unreasonable then to assume that possibly in cholera 
and yellow fever the heat during life may be replaced by 
molecular motion, and be re-manifested when that motion 
is destroyed, as after death? I think at least physicians 
must no longer simply record, but endeavour, by as rigid 
an adherence to physical laws as possible, to account for the 
rise of temperature after death from cholera or any other 
disease. 
2nd. The blood 1s minus oxygen. 
The gas has been absorbed but appropriated by the new 
cells, the red corpuscles carry it not to the tissues, or at 
least not in sufficient quantity, and the blood soon becomes 
charged with carbon. Dr. Marcet states in the Lancet, of 
February 2, 1867, that the exhalation of carbonic acid from 
the lungs requires a certain temperature, and that as the heat 
of the body falls so the carbonic acid tends to accumulate in 
the blood. Part of the oxyen inhaled probably enters into 
the composition of the growing germinal matter, constituting 
the new cell-formation, the remainder uniting to form car- 
bonic acid and water. 
Now, if we suppose that the blood is deprived of one 
quarter of its oxyen only, death would speedily result, for the 
late Dr. Snow found that if an animal breathes an atmo- 
sphere containing from 104 to 16 per cent. of oxygen, instead 
of the normal quantity, 20 per cent., it soon dies, although 
provision is made for the removal of the carbonic acid as 
fast as it is formed.* 
The oxidation of the food in the blood and of the tissues is 
transferred from the bitten man to the foreign cell, which is 
equivalent to saying, that animal power is transferred from 
the one to the other. 
It is wonderful to reflect how long this power or energy 
may be retained by living “germinal” matter. Seeds grow 
after ages of inaction. Vaccine matter is dried and carried all 
over the world ; the poison of the cobra has been inoculated 
and caused death after having been kept ten years. 
ord. The blood is minus fibrine. 
Of this there is no doubt, and it is interesting to inquire 
how far this may be dependent upon oxygenation. 
The blood is dark and fluid in all cases in which it has 
* Carpenter’s Human Physiology, Sixth Edition. 
