352 Dr. A. J. Wall. On the [June 16, 



action by causing convulsions, though a certain proportion of animals 

 will escape them through an insufficient quantity of poison having 

 been injected. It should be stated here, that the preliminary effects 

 of the poison differ only in degree from those of cobra poisoning. The 

 local pain appears to be peculiarly acute, and the accompanying 

 inflammation exceedingly severe ; and, from the amount of blood- 

 stained serum effused, might almost be said to have a "specific" 

 character. 



The contrast between the effects of the two poisons comes out 

 singularly clearly when birds are selected as the subject of ex- 

 periment. 



Experiment XIII. 



1 cgrm. of dried daboia poison was dissolved in 1 cub. centim. of 

 distilled water, and the solution was injected with great care just 

 beneath the skin of the leg of a fowl. 



3.10 p.m. Injection. 



3.11 p.m. Slightly lame in the leg in which the injection was made. 



3.12 p.m. Violent convulsions. 

 3.12} p.m. Dead. 



Experiment XIV. 



1 cgrm. of dried cobra poison dissolved in 1 cub. centim. of distilled 

 water was injected just beneath the skin of a fowl. 

 3.30 p.m. Injection. 

 3.34 p.m. Drowsy. 



3.36 p.m. Beak resting on the ground ; unable to stand ; eyelids 

 closed, pupils contracted. 



3.37 p.m. Unable to lift its head from the ground. 

 3.40 p.m. Convulsions. 



3.42 p.m. Dead. 



In these two experiments the greatest care was taken to ensure the 

 conditions being exactly the same ; yet, with daboia poison, the bird 

 died in two and three-quarter minutes with only the occurrence of 

 convulsions ; while, with cobra poison, it died after twelve minutes r 

 and went through the regular course of paralysis. The convulsions^ 

 therefore, are not dependent upon the injection of a large quantity of 

 poison directly into a vein. The next point to be determined is 

 whether the convulsions are due to asphyxia, like those that often 

 occur after the cessation of respiration from paralysis in cobra 

 poisoning. 



Experiment XV. 



A fowl had its trachea opened, and a tube in connexion with a 

 bellows for artificial respiration inserted into it. 2 cgrms. of dried 



