1873.] of the Poison of some Indian Venomous Snakes. 365 



It retained its fluidity and activity to the last. The third sample was of 

 a light-brown colour, quite solid, and resembling dry hard cheese in its 

 consistency. The second and fourth consisted of a clear, thin, transparent 

 fluid and a white curdy precipitate. Kone of these specimens had the 

 same activity as the first ; they produced similar symptoms, but much 

 less marked. 



Effects of the poison. — The local effects of the poison are partial 

 paralysis of the bitten part, occasionally pain in it, ecchymosis around 

 the spot where the poison has been introduced, and sometimes in other 

 and distant parts, and, if the animal survives for some hours, infiltration 

 and perhaps incipient decomposition of the tissues and hemorrhagic 

 discharge. 



The general symptoms are depression, faintness, hurried respiration 

 and exhaustion, lethargy, nausea, and vomiting. In guineapigs and rabbits 

 peculiar twitching movements occur, which seem to represent vomiting in 

 them, and occasionally, in fact, guineapigs do vomit. Dogs vomit, are 

 salivated, and present an appearance as if the hair had all been rubbed 

 the wrong way, " staring." As the poisoning proceeds paralysis appears, 

 sometimes affecting the hind legs first and seeming to creep up the body, 

 and sometimes affecting the whole animal nearly at the same time. 

 There is loss of coordinating power of the muscles of locomotion. 



Haemorrhage, relaxation of the sphincters, and involuntary evacuations, 

 not unfrequently of a sanguineous or muco-sanguineous character, often 

 precede death, and it is generally accompanied by convulsions. 



In fowls the appearance is one of extreme drowsiness ; the head falls 

 forwards, rests on the beak, and gradually the bird, no longer able to 

 support itself, rolls over on its side. There are frequent startings, as if of 

 sudden awaking from the drowsy state*. 



The effects of the poison upon dogs, guineapigs, and rabbits are' 

 illustrated by the following experiments. 



The poison which was first sent home and still remained perfectly 

 liquid, but had become of a dark brown, almost black colour, and some- 

 what inspissated, was used. 



Experiment I. 



1.30. Three drops of this, diluted with water, were injected into the 

 flank of a small dog. Immediately after the injection the corresponding 

 leg was drawn up, partially paralyzed. 



1.32. He walks less steadily. Tail rigidly held out. 



1.35. Is restless and whining. Walks about and then sits down 

 again. "Walks unsteadily. 



* In cases where the quantity of poison injected is large, and it is at the same time 

 very active, the bitten animal small and weak, or if inoculation has taken place into a 

 large vein, death is almost sudden, as if it were from shock. In such cases the cardiac 

 ganglia are also probably paralyzed ; at all events the heart suddenly ceases to beat. 



