1881.] The Ptomaines and the Snake Poisons. 739 
serpents, was not unnaturally led to seek for similar products 
in human saliva. It has long been known that a severe bite 
inflidted by a man or woman, especially in a state of rage or 
other excitement, has proved fatal. The salivary-glands in 
man are the representatives of the poison-glands of serpents. 
Prof. Oken used to declare that the saliva had the “ signifi- 
cation of poison,” and that one of its functions was to 
destroy the molecular life of the substances eaten. In human 
saliva a poison not inferior in activity to that of the more 
formidable alkaloids seems actually to exist. 
Dr. Gautier obtained 20 grms. (nearly f ounce) of normal 
saliva, and evaporated it down in the water-bath. There 
remained a residue weighing J of a gramme, or nearly 
4 grains. After being exposed to the temperature of 212 0 F. 
for three hours, this residue was re-dissolved in tepid water. 
If the liquid thus obtained was injedted under the skin of 
birds the result was generally fatal, the symptoms being 
dilatation of the pupils and complete stupor. He has not 
yet isolated the poisonous principle of the saliva, but he finds 
that the watery extract prepared as just described imme- 
diately reduces the red prussiate of potash. Further, on 
treating the extradt of saliva with a little dilute hydrochloric 
acid, and then with Meyer’s reagent, a precipitate is obtained 
which, when washed and decomposed with sulphuretted hy- 
drogen, gives a solution from which a hydrochlcrate is depo- 
sited in fine microscopic needles. The solution of these 
minute crystals forms, with the chlorides of gold and plati- 
num, crystalline but very unstable salts. 
Hence we see that the venom of serpents is no exceptional 
anomalous produdf, but merely an intensified modification 
of ordinary saliva. We may now understand how it comes 
that animals, in very different parts of the zoological scale, 
up to the ruder portion of our own species inclusive, spit at 
an enemy. It might be important to subjedt the saliva of 
such animals — e.g., the llama — to a special examination. 
Snakes are known occasionally to projedt their venom, and 
it is quite possible that such a spirt falling upon the eye, the 
lips, or the nostrils, might occasion serious results. We 
sometimes hear reports of illness, or even death, produced 
by the bite of some animal not officially recognised as 
venomous, and certainly not provided with hollow fangs. 
Such accounts are generally rejedted as fabulous. But, 
making all due allowance for exaggeration and distortion, it 
is still probable that the saliva may, under certain conditions, 
be more highly charged with poisonous matter than is usual. 
Here careful observation is needed. 
