iper, and
producing more swelling and effusion locally than any other one of our
snakes, is not known to have ever produced the extensive effusions from
mucous surfaces in pericardium, lungs, &c., described above. More
research however is necessary, especially more carefully conducted
autopsies. Since Australia has taken the lead in this hitherto so
obscure department, every practitioner should make it his object and
special ambition to contribute his quota towards the elucidation of the
subject, not only by reporting successful cases, but also the
post-mortem appearances in unsuccessful ones, wherever it is
practicable. It is not by experiments on animals but by a hearty
co-operation of Australian practitioners that we can ever hope to
supplement our knowledge on this subject.

b.--The Respiratory Centre.

Paresis of this centre does not play as important a part here as it does
in India, more especially after cobra-bite. The peculiar, and as yet
unexplained, tendency of snake-poison to act with special virulence on
some centres, passing others by comparatively little disturbed, is
markedly shown by the cobra poison of India as compared with that of our
Australian cobra (_hoplocephalus curtus._) The unfortunate victims of
the former are tortured by an ever-increasing dyspnoca, and finally die
from asphyxia, under what are supposed to be carbonic acid convulsions.
They retain their consciousness more or less unclouded to the last, the
poison spending all its force on the respiratory centre, and leaving the
brain intact. Here we hardly ever see actual dyspnoca after the bite of
hoplocephalus or any other Australian snake. Respiration becomes quicker
at an early stage, and then, from hour to hour, shallower; but our
patients soon pass from sleep into coma, and suffer no respiratory
distress even when, in consequence of general paralysis, the respiratory
muscles cease to act, which usually takes place a few minutes before the
heart stands still.

Feoktistow records the following observations on cats with reference to
the respiratory centre:--Small intravenous injections of the fresh
poison (0.07-0.13 mllgr.) produced a great increase in frequency of
respirations (280-360 per minute). Section of both vagi at once reduced
this frequency, from which he infers that small doses act as an irritant
to the respiratory centre. When small doses were repeated several times,
the respiratory movements were gradually retarded, and a