360 
H. C. YARROW. 
ually absorbed, instead of injecting ammonia into a vein it was 
thrown into the tissues contiguous to the part where the venom 
was injected, with the following result: 
Nov. 4, 1887—12:53 p. m. —Injected a strong, healthy pigeon 
in the right side of the breast with 3 minims of glycerine venom, 
followed at once with 25 minims of ammonia solution. 
12:55 p. m. —Bird died, having had tetanic spasms almost im¬ 
mediately after the last injection. The post mortem examination 
showed the heart to be empty, and much fluidity of the extravas- 
ated blood in vicinity of wound was noticed. 
Inasmuch as it had been shown by previous experiments that 
a lethal dose of 3 minims of glycerine venom requires a much 
longer time to produce death in pigeons, the supposition naturally 
arose that perhaps the ammonia itself was the cause of death, and 
the following experiment was tried a few days after: 
Nov. 8—12:11 p. m. —Injected 25 minims of ammonia solution 
in breast of healthy pigeon. 
12:13 J- p. m. —The pigeon fell over backward from its perch, 
gave a convulsive struggle, and died in half a minute. 
Five minims of glycerine venom were thrown into the leg of 
a rabbitt, followed by thirty minims of ammonia solution, and 
the rabbit perished in five minutes. 
The question may well be asked, if Halford’s solution of am¬ 
monia has such a startling effect when injected into the tissues, 
what would be the result of throwing it directly into the veins? 
The evidence being so conclusive regarding the inefficacy of am¬ 
monia as an antidote, no further sacrifices of animals were made. 
Among the many remedies that have been recommended in snake 
bite, the different species of Euphorbia hold a prominent place, 
in fact in the Western States and Territories it is believed a spe¬ 
cific not only for man but beast, as has been stated to the writer 
by his friend, Capt. Chas. Bendire, IT. S. A., and that this belief 
was held by our trans-Atlantic brethren is shown by the following 
statement of Dr. Hurant, Jour, de Chem. Med. Pharm. et Toxicol., 
Par., 1839, 2 s., v. 272. 
W hile botanizing in the country a favorite dog was bitten by 
a viper; fortunately close at hand he found the Euphorbia Cy- 
