XIV 



Obituary Notices of Fellows deceased. 



Amongst these were the weapons of the Abors and Mishmis of KE. India^ 

 upon the points of which the toxic element was discovered to be an aconitine 

 (probably pseudaconitine from A. ferox), but Sir Thomas found that the 

 latter tribe also employed a poison which, when injected, produced heemor- 

 rhagic conditions similar to those originated by snake venom. This poison he- 

 identified as croton oil. 



He bestowed much time upon various researches into the action of snake 

 venom, the antidotal treatment of conditions due to its absorption, and the 

 endeavour to estabHsh immunity by treatment anterior to venom inoculation. 

 A series of papers embodying his results and conclusions was published in 

 the years 1895-1897. Over a period often extending to many weeks, 

 gradually increased doses of the venoms of certain snakes were administered, 

 until a proportion had been arrived at which would infallibly have proved 

 fatal to an untreated animal. 



Such preparations were made by feeding,* as well as by hypodermic 

 injection. Prof. Fraser satisfied himself that an animal thus prepared not 

 only acquired protection itself against the action of venom subsequently 

 administered by injection in doses largely exceeding the calculated lethal, 

 but further, that the serum (whether liquid or desiccated) of such an animal 

 had the property of immunising other animals against venom action. By 

 varying the time-relationship of administration of the antivenin and of the 

 potent venom, he sought to ascertain the limit within which the former 

 might prove effective as a prophylactic or as a curative agent. That the 

 bile of poisonous snakes (African and Indian cobra, puff-adder), as well as 

 that of the non-poisonous, and of all mammals, to which the test was 

 applied, is capable of destroying the activity of venom when a requisite 

 portion of the former is brought into contact with the latter in vitro, was 

 demonstrated by Prof. Eraser in an elaborate series of observations. 

 Cholesterin appears to be the inactivating constituent. He entertained 

 some hope that a practical antidotal method of treatment might find its 

 basis on this fact, although estimating that a relatively enormous dose of 

 bile (x 1600-2000) might be required when inoculation of venom had 

 already taken place. 



The venom of several poisonous snakes was subjected to examination more 

 recently in the Edinburgh laboratories. That of the common Krait 

 {Pongarus cceruleus), investigated by Sir T. Eraser, with the collaboration 

 of Major Elliot and Dr. Sillar, was found to be inferior in toxicity to cobra 

 venom. Together with Dr. Gunn, the venom of the S. Africau Colubrine, 

 Sepedon hcemachates, and also that of the Viperine, Uchis carinatus, were 

 examined by him, and the important conclusion was deduced from the 

 results obtained, that the venoms of Colubrine and Viperine snakes, far 



* Calmette is at issue with these conclusions in so far as the development of immunity 

 is concerned, he (Calmette) holding that a venom-fed animal develops no antivenin — 

 though he admits the possibility of some degree of protection being conferred upon 

 certain very young animals by this method. 



