87

Medical Officers of the Army of India.

ones. Local muscular action was well marked, and 7 minutes later violent
general convulsions set in, and terminated in death immmediately after.

   The suppression of all local and general symptoms of nervous irritation,
which attended the second administration of the venom in this case, in spite
of the coincident increase in the dose which was employed, was probably
merely the result of retarded absorption connected with the local irritant
effects induced in the tissues by the primary one, for the acutely fatal effect
of a correspondingly augmented dose, when introduced on the subsequent day
in a fresh site, clearly shows that no considerable rise in degree of immunity
had up to that time been established as the result of any reactive systemic
manufacture of antivenene.

   Experiment V. —A fowl received an injection of 0.001 gramme of dry
daboia-venom of the same lethal value as that employed in the previous
experiment, in 0.5 C. C. of water.

   Local muscular action occurred, but no appreciable general symptoms of
either acute or chronic intoxication followed.

   January 13th. —Forty-eight hours after the previous treatment, it received
0.002 gramme in 0.5 C. C. of water in the same site. A mere trace of local mus-
cular action was present. The bird presently sat down, leaning on one side owing
to spasmodic extension of the leg into which the venom had been introduced,
the persistent extension being accompanied by occasional spasmodic twitchings.
The eyes were half closed and occasionally completely shut, and gular move-
ments of swallowing were frequent and conspicuous.

   The clonic twitchings and general rigidity of the leg gradually diminished,
and after about an hour and-a-half the bird had begun to dress its feathers and
was looking quite bright.

   January 14th. —It was feeding freely and only somewhat dull, and on the
following day it was to all appearance perfectly well.

   January 16th. —An injection of 0.002 was administered in the opposite leg,
and was followed by distinct local muscular twitching. No further symptoms
of nervous irritation, however, manifested themselves. The bird appeared to
be somewhat dull for a short time, but 12 minutes after the injection of the
venom it was feeding greedily.

   January 17th. —An injection of 0.003 gramme of venom was administered
in the same site as the injection of the previous day. No local muscular action
occurred. The bird for some time sat motionless, with its eyes frequently closed,
but half an hour after the administration of the venom, when some grain was
introduced into the cage, it stood up and began to feed. It had, however, little
appetite, and soon sat down again and remained motionless.

   January 20th. —The bird was now apparently quite well, and 0.004 gramme
of venom in 0.5 C. C. of water, or a normal minimal lethal dose for acute
intoxication, was administered to it.