470 



Dr. T. L. Brunton and Sir J. Fayrer [June 20, 



3.53 p.m. Restless. 



3.55 ,, Weak, dropping both hind legs; left appears quite pa- 

 ralysed. 



4.5 ,, Getting weaker ; paralysis creeping over him. 

 4.10 „ Barely moves ; hind quarters completely paralysed. 

 4.12 ,, Convulsions. 



4.19 ,, Heart still beats feebly. 



4.20 „ Dead. 



Experiment YIII shows that permanganate of potash destroys the 

 action of the venom. 



Experiment VIII. 

 5 mgms. of poison were dissolved in 1 cub. centim. of water, 

 and mixed with 1 cub. centim. of liquor potassee permanganatis of 

 the British Pharmacopoeia, and injected under the skin of a guinea- 

 pig. No* symptoms were produced, and the animal remained quite 

 unaffected. 



Experiment IX. 



Two rabbits of the same litter, each weighing exactly 2 lbs. were 

 taken. 5 centigrammes of cobra poison dissolved in 1 cub. cen- 

 tim. of distilled water, were mixed with 1 cub. centim. of liquor 

 potassse permanganatis (B.P.), and allowed to stand for about 8 

 minutes. The mixture was then injected under the skin of the flank 

 of one rabbit. ISTo symptoms whatever were produced, and the 

 animal though kept under observation for some weeks remained quite 

 unaffected by the poison. 5 mgms. of cobra poison, dissolved in 

 2 cub. centims. of water, were injected into the other rabbit at the 

 same time. During the injection a little of the poison was lost, so 

 that the animal did not receive the full dose, yet it died in 30 minutes. 



Chloride of zinc delays the action of the cobra poison, but does not 

 prevent it, as appears from Experiments X and XI, in which a guinea- 

 pig that had received 3 mgms. of pure cobra poison (Experiment X) died 

 in 45 minutes, whereas one that had received a similar dose, previously 

 mixed with chloride of zinc, lived for about 3 hours. Experiment XI. 



Experiment X. 



March 1st, 1878. 3 mgms. of cobra poison, dissolved in 2 cub. cen- 

 tims. of distilled water, injected at 3.43 p.m. into a guinea-pig's hip. 

 Weight of guinea-pig 20 oz. 



3*46 p.m. Twitching. 



3.50 ,, Restless twitching. 



3.53 ,, The same. Irritable ; squeals ; quarrels with the other 

 guinea-pigs ; respiration jerky. 

 4 p.m. The same. 



4.5 p.m. Drags the injected leg, which is nearly paralysed. 

 4.15 p.m. Much the same. 



