The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-02-10

AT meeting Of the Royal Society, on the
9th Of September 1868, Professor Halford
remarked the following on snake-poisoning:
II would be remembered that be had sta
ted on q former occasion that he noticed the
following points In cases Of snake-po poisoning,
namely, The presence affer death oflarge cells
the total loss Of fhrine, perfect fluid state
of the blood, aud the apparent perversion Of
oxygen absorbed into the system. Subse-
quent observations had confirmed those facts.
He found, however, no similar cells In the
poison of the snake, and consequently, the
origin of these cells was very mysterious.
Mr.. Ralph, a friend Of his, having seen these
experiments, made other experiments with
prussig acid, and found the cells somewhat
similar to those which were noticed alfer
death by tiger-snake poisoning. He (Profes-
sor Hsltord) had also poisoned animals with
hydrocyanic acid, and after an examination
he found that Mr.. Ralph's statements were
perfectly correct; the condition Of the blood
resembled very much that Of snake-polson-
ing. The origin Of the cells had therefore
yet to be discovered, and he had no doubt
that in time II would be found. He would
say nothing more about this portion of the
question that evening, as he would bring the
subject more fully before the society on a
future occasion. He would now comment
on an article In TIE iHsfralasian Of July %,
1865, which he would recommend should be
reprinted, for II contained great deal that
was worth knowing He believed he could
detect the hand Of the writer to be that Of
DIR. Mitchell, professor Of physiology at
Philadelphia The writer was the flrst who
had properly described the connexion be-
tween the poison gland and the poison fangs.
DIR. Mitchell had sent 10 him some grains Of
the poison; with a grain Of 1t dog was
poisoned In five hours. DR.. Mitchell de-
scribed the recent poison as being perfectly
..s.A
professor Halford) had found cells In the
tiger-snake poison, aud In this dried poison Of
the rattlesnake when II was dissolved In
water and placed beneath microscope he
found some cells and a large quantity of
granular matter. DR.. Short, Of Madras,
found the same characteristics ln the poison
of the cobra. DIR. Mitchell went on TO say
that rattlesnakes never poisoned each other.
He prof HalfOrd) had tried the experiment
with tiger-snakes, and had even injected the
poison into a snake, but never could produce
a fatal effect. In the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
poisoning a severe wound and swelling re-
sulted 10 the animal poisoned. In the tiger
snake poisoning there was no such wound;
there was no inflammation, no discolorat:on Of
the muscles, no putrefaction. 1t was not so
with the rattle-snake or the cobra. The IT,
ger snake had weapon very much smaller
than either of these; its venom he believed
was more deadly; 1t killed more by direct
action on the blood than by disorganisation
of the tissues. The man who died at Tan
kArd's Hotel short time ago suffered great
pain-indeed, attention was first drawn to
him by his groaning-while Mr.. Drummond
had no pain. DIR. Mitchell saw no altera-
tion of the blood, even after an examination
with the microscope; nor did DIR. Short
observe any alteration after bites by the nat
tle-snake and the cobra respectively Now
be Professor Halfordl had tried the expert
ment with both rattle-snake, cobra, and
tiger-snake poisoning, and he saw the cells
in all, and the blood in a fluid state after
death, consequently, the point must have
been overlooked both in America and India
He brought the question before the society
because he desired TO state that all the obser-
vations he had made previously were correct,
though the inferences he drew were not
borne out, and because he wished that the
paper in The Ausfrdldsidn should be better
known. 1t would probably take years be-
fore any result was arrived at by these expe-
riments, and before we could understand
how death was produced by snske-poisoning
in the system, but he believed that in time
something definite would ultimately be
known..-AustraldsidR