364 Drs. Brunton and Fayrer on the Nature and Action [June 19, 



a gelatinous precipitate ; absolute alcohol throws down a white gelatinous 

 precipitate; a drop of it evaporated with a little sulphate of copper 

 solution and then treated with caustic potash giyes a violent coloration. 

 These reactions show that the chief constituent of the poison is an 

 albuminoid body. On an ultimate analysis being made, very little 

 difference was found to exist betAveen the fresh poison, the alcoholic 

 precipitate, and the alcoholic extract. This is the only ultimate analysis 

 of the poison of any snake which has yet been made, so far as we know. 

 We quote the results of it, and give the composition of albumen for com- 

 parison*. 



Crude poison. 



Alcoholic precipitate. 



Alcoholic extract. 



Albumen. 



Carbon, 43*55 . . 



45-76 



43-04 



53-5 



Nitrogen, 43-30 



14-30 



12-45 



15-7 



Hydrogen .... 



6-60 



7- 



7-1 



Sulphur .... 



2-5 







Ash : 



traces. 







We have recently received from Bengal some cobra-poison dried and 

 in appearance resembling dried gum. On this we hope to report on a 

 future occasion. 



Although there is little difference between the composition of the 

 alcoholic precipitate and extract, there is an immense difference between 

 their physiological actions, the extract being a virulent poison and the 

 precipitate almost inert. It is to be observed that the poison examined 

 by Dr. Armstrong had already begun to undergo decomposition • but if it 

 should be found by further experiments that the properties of the 

 extract and precipitate from perfectly fresh cobra-poison are the same as 

 those of the poison he used, it will form a notable distinction between 

 the poison of the cobra and that of the rattlesnake. The precipitate 

 thrown down by alcohol from the poison of the rattlesnake has been 

 ascertained to be active, while the alcoholic extract is inert (vide Weir 

 Mitchell, " Physiology and Toxicology of the Yenom of the Rattlesnake," 

 Smithsonian Contributions, 1860, p. 36). 



We have experimented on four different samples of poison sent from 

 Bengal. The first was originally a clear transparent fluid; but after 

 keeping it decomposed and became almost black, as already described. 



* Dr. Armstrong in his analysis does not appear to have arrived at the same conclusions 

 as the Prince of Canino (L. Buonaparte), who detected the presence of a peculiar principle 

 perhaps allied to ptyaline, to which he gave the name Echidnine or Viperine, in addition 

 to fatty matter, salts, albuminous and mucous substance. It has been suggested by 

 Prof. Busk (vide Holmes's ' System of Surgery,' vol. v. p. 941) that the venom may 

 reside in a principle analogous to, though differing from, ptyaline. We would not, how- 

 ever, regard Dr. Armstrong's analysis as conclusive, buthope to have the result of further 

 examination of larger quantities of the virus. 



