after Death from Snake-bite. 93 
being due to animal poisons, and also that opprobrium, if I 
may so call it, of surgery, pyeemia. Even so lately as 
February last, Mr. Savory says: “The worst cases of 
pyzmia, those in which death is most rapid, reveal after- 
wards the least sign of local disease. Indeed, in the very 
worst cases there has been no time for local mischief to 
supervene. The whole mass of the blood is so poisoned and 
spoiled that it kills outright. In these cases the blood is 
found unnaturally dark and fluid, with few, large, black, 
_ soft, and imperfectly formed clots. Its power of coagulation 
is evidently impaired.” 
Lastly, as suggested to me by my friend Dr. Bayldon, are 
the cells seen in leucocytheemia, white corpuscles or other 
animal cells ? 
I would advocate a thorough re-examination of the blood 
in all these cases, and strongly recommend the use of 
magenta dye in every instance.* In support of my views 
I will quote the words of a great living physiologist, 
M. Claude Bernard: “In all post-mortem examinations the 
state of the blood more especially deserves our attention. 
Towards this object the energies of all our physiologists 
ought to be mainly directed. Organic chemistry, however, 
is unfortunately not in an advanced state, especially as 
regards the constituent principles of the animal organization ; 
and chemical analysis must, therefore, be in a great measure 
left aside, when the properties of the blood are the subjects 
of investigation ;'in other terms, a physiological analysis is 
in this respect far preferable.” 
Further investigation must be deferred till the summer, 
and in the meantime I cannot but think that a wide field 
for research into the molecular condition of the blood in 
disease has been opened. Although it must be confessed 
that if any lght is thrown by these researches upon the 
origin and mode of action of animal poisons, it is only sufti- 
cient to show us the great darkness that is before us. In 
bringing before the Society the hypothesis of the abstraction 
of oxygen from the body by the growth of germinal matter in 
snake-bite, and possibly in cholera and many other diseases, I 
have done so in no vain mood, but with a sincere desire to add 
my mite to the discovery of truth, and even should all 
turn out error, as possibly it may, the labour will not have 
been for me, and I trust not for others, in vain. 
* The proportion I find most generally useful for histological inquiry is 
one drop of Power’s or Judson’s dye, to twenty of distilled water. 
