[30]

p 4 poison of snakes, acts by paralysing nerve-centres

(replaces ptyaline of saliva)

Cobra— Poisonous p 150. An albuminoid substance

Is Ptyaline an alkaloid??

(in Watts Dict simply called an albumin substance)

The Thanatophidia of India by Dr Fayrer 1872.

[Insectivorous plants, p. 206: "Poison from the Cobra.—Dr. Fayrer, well known from his investigations on the poison of this deadly snake, was so kind as to give me some in a dried state. It is an albuminous substance, and is believed to replace the ptyaline of saliva.* A minute drop (about 1/20 of a minim) of a solution of one part to 437 of water was applied to the secretion round four glands; so that each received only about 1/38400 of a grain (.0016 mg.). The operation was repeated on four other glands; and in 15 m. several of the eight tentacles became well inflected, and all of them in 2 hrs. Next morning, after 24 hrs., they were still inflected, and the glands of a very pale pink colour. After an additional 24 hrs. they were nearly re-expanded, and completely so on the succeeding day; but most of the glands remained almost white.

* Dr. Fayrer, 'The Thanatophidia of India,' 1872, p. 150."]