496 Action of the Poison of ike HydropMclw. [Mar. 31 



or bile of the Enhydrina had any antidotal properties, deserves mention 

 in this connection. Three puppies of the same litter were used, all 

 very much of the same size. Each received an equal quantity of 

 Enhj^drina poison, but in the first this was mixed with a four minims 

 of the serum of the Enhydrina ; in the second it was mixed with four 

 minims of the bile of the same snake ; and the third received the poison 

 solution only as a control. The mixtures were injected ten minutes 

 after being made. The result was that all three animals died in a 

 little over an hour, the control surviving slightly longer than the 

 others. It appears, then, that neither the serum nor the bile of this 

 snake has any antidotal properties against the poison, and can not, 

 therefore, be utilised in the treatment of their bites. Further re- 

 search will be necessary to determine if a practically efficient antidote 

 can be prepared, which I hope to undertake when sufficient venom 

 for the purpose can be obtained. 



This concludes the most important experiments so far carried out 

 by me with the poison of the Hydrophida?. They have necessarily 

 been strictly limited by the very small amount of poison which I have 

 yet been able to obtain, and by the equipment of the laboratory at 

 my disposal, for the use of which I am indebted to the kind permission 

 of the Committee of the Zoological Gardens of Calcutta. I am also 

 indebted to the Bengal Government for a grant towards the expense of 

 this investigation. 



