﻿262 
  Drs. 
  Brunton 
  and 
  Fayrer 
  on 
  the 
  Physiological 
  [Feb. 
  18, 
  

  

  paper 
  to 
  compare 
  with 
  these 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  Crotal 
  as-virus 
  in 
  its 
  general 
  

   effects 
  on 
  life, 
  on 
  the 
  functions, 
  organs, 
  and 
  tissues, 
  and 
  especially 
  as 
  it 
  

   affects 
  the 
  blood 
  and 
  vessels 
  as 
  regards 
  a 
  marked 
  influence 
  in 
  causing 
  

   hoeinorrhages 
  and 
  extravasations 
  of 
  blood 
  generally 
  and 
  locally; 
  and, 
  

   further, 
  to 
  examine 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  snake-poison 
  generally 
  on 
  ciliary 
  and 
  

   amoeboid 
  movements 
  — 
  or 
  that 
  which 
  represents 
  its 
  action 
  on 
  contracti- 
  

   lity, 
  apart 
  from 
  that 
  which 
  is 
  caused 
  through 
  the 
  medium 
  of 
  the 
  nerve- 
  

   centres 
  and 
  nerve-distribution. 
  

  

  It 
  appears 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  difference 
  between 
  the 
  physiological 
  

   effects 
  of 
  the 
  crotaline 
  or 
  viperine 
  and 
  the 
  colubrine 
  virus. 
  The 
  mode 
  

   in 
  which 
  death 
  is 
  brought 
  about 
  is 
  essentially 
  the 
  same 
  in 
  all; 
  though 
  

   there 
  are 
  evidences, 
  even 
  when 
  allowing 
  for 
  individual 
  peculiarities, 
  that 
  

   the 
  action 
  is 
  marked 
  by 
  some 
  points 
  of 
  difference 
  sufficiently 
  characteristic 
  

   to 
  require 
  notice 
  in 
  detail. 
  

  

  "We 
  have 
  already 
  expressed 
  our 
  belief 
  that 
  death 
  is 
  caused 
  by 
  the 
  

   cobra-, 
  Daboia-, 
  and 
  ifyc?rop7«s-poison, 
  1st, 
  through 
  its 
  action 
  on 
  the 
  

   cerebro-spinal 
  nerve-centres, 
  especially 
  on 
  the 
  medulla, 
  inducing 
  paralysis 
  

   of 
  respiration 
  ; 
  or 
  2nd, 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  (where 
  the 
  poison 
  has 
  entered 
  the 
  

   circulation 
  in 
  large 
  quantities 
  and 
  has 
  been 
  conveyed 
  more 
  directly 
  to 
  the 
  

   heart) 
  by 
  arrest, 
  tetanically 
  in 
  systole, 
  of 
  cardiac 
  action, 
  probably 
  owing 
  

   to 
  some 
  action 
  on 
  the 
  cardiac 
  ganglia 
  ; 
  3rd, 
  by 
  a 
  combination 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  

   previous 
  causes 
  ; 
  4th, 
  by 
  a 
  septic 
  condition 
  of 
  a 
  secondary 
  nature, 
  and 
  

   which, 
  being 
  more 
  essentially 
  pathological 
  in 
  its 
  bearings, 
  the 
  details 
  were 
  

   not 
  considered 
  suitable 
  for 
  discussion 
  here. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  reason 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  death 
  is 
  caused 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  way 
  by 
  the 
  

   Crotahis-^oison. 
  also 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  appears, 
  from 
  the 
  experiments 
  recently 
  per- 
  

   formed 
  in 
  Calcutta, 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Ewart 
  and 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  Committee 
  

   appointed 
  by 
  Government, 
  upon 
  Pseudechis 
  porjphyriacus, 
  or 
  the 
  black 
  

   snake, 
  and 
  Hoploceplicdus 
  curtus, 
  or 
  the 
  tiger-snake 
  of 
  Australia, 
  that 
  

   their 
  virus 
  causes 
  death 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner. 
  These 
  reptiles 
  had 
  been 
  

   sent 
  from 
  Melbourne 
  to 
  Calcutta 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  investigation 
  and 
  

   comparison. 
  (Vide 
  Committee's 
  Report, 
  p. 
  58 
  et 
  seq., 
  Appendix.) 
  

  

  But 
  though 
  the 
  actual 
  cause 
  of 
  death 
  is 
  essentially 
  the 
  same, 
  the 
  phe- 
  

   nomena 
  which 
  precede 
  and 
  accompany 
  it 
  differ 
  in 
  some 
  degree 
  according 
  

   to 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  poison, 
  the 
  quantity 
  and 
  site 
  of 
  the 
  inoculations, 
  

   and 
  the 
  individual 
  peculiarities 
  of 
  the 
  creature 
  inoculated, 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  

   seen 
  in 
  the 
  experiments 
  herewith 
  recorded. 
  

  

  The 
  condition 
  of 
  an 
  animal 
  poisoned 
  by 
  the 
  rattlesnake-venom, 
  then, 
  

   essentially 
  resembles 
  that 
  of 
  one 
  subjected 
  to 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  the 
  

   colubrine 
  or 
  viperine 
  poison 
  of 
  Indian 
  snakes 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Depression, 
  hurried 
  respiration, 
  exhaustion, 
  lethargy, 
  unconsciousness, 
  

   nausea, 
  retching, 
  and 
  vomiting 
  (vide 
  experiment 
  on 
  cat, 
  Exp. 
  IX.). 
  

  

  Muscular 
  twitchiugs, 
  ataxy, 
  paralysis, 
  and 
  convulsions 
  (the 
  latter 
  pro- 
  

   bably 
  chiefly, 
  though 
  not 
  entirely, 
  due 
  to 
  circulation 
  of 
  imperfectly 
  oxy- 
  

   genated 
  blood, 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  impeded 
  respiration), 
  and, 
  finally, 
  death. 
  

  

  