344 
FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS. 
was partially intoxicated at the time, seeing the cobra trying 
to make its escape, caught hold of the reptile by the tail, 
when it turned sharply round and bit him in the index finger. 
He was immediately removed to the hospital, where a tourni- 
quet was placed on the arm and wrist, the finger freely 
lanced and ammonia and ipecacuanha applied, while am- 
monia and brandy were given internally. The wound was 
sucked and the patient kept awake ; but in spite of every 
effort he died fouy or five hours after being bitten. A curious 
circumstance in connection with this case is that the patient 
expressed himself as feeling no pain, and the usual symptoms 
of snake poisoning were absent. 
Substitution of Salts Composing the Bones. — 
That certain salts entering into the composition of the body 
can be substituted by others belonging to the same series, 
if supplied in the food, has been long known. Some good 
experiments, however, have been made in the course of the 
past year by M. Papillon, and are recorded in the c Comptes 
Rendus/ In one of these a young pigeon was dieted on 
distilled water to which hydrochlorate, carbonate, sulphate, 
and nitrate of potash were added, and with grain made into 
a paste with strontia. The bird remained in perfect health 
for nearly eight months, when it was killed, and an analysis 
made of its bones, with the following results : In 100 parts 
there were of lime 46*75, of strontia 8-45, of phosphoric acid 
41*80, and of phosphate of magnesia 1*80; residue, 1*10. In 
a second experiment a white rat ten days old was subjected 
to a similar regimen, except that phosphate of alumina was 
substituted for the strontia given to the pigeon in the pro- 
portion of about a grain and a half per diem. The animal 
remained to all appearance in good health for about six 
weeks, when it died suddenly in convulsions. An autopsy 
showed the presence of intense enteritis. Analysis of the 
bones showed that in 100 parts there were of alum 6* 95, and 
of lime 41*10 parts. Another animal of the same litter was 
supplied with phosphate of magnesia instead of phosphate of 
alumina, and was killed at the same time. Analysis of its 
bones showed the presence of magnesia in the following pro- 
portions in 100 parts: — Magnesia 3*56, lime 46*15. In all 
the animals the appearance presented by the bones was 
natural, and they seemed to possess their ordinary physio- 
logical peculiarities. — Lancet. 
