Report on the effects of artificial respiration, intravenous injection of ammonia, and administration of various drugs, &c. in Indian and Australian snake-poisoning, and the physiological, chemical, and microscopical nature of snake-poisons / by the commission appointed to investigate the subject.

Date:
1874
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the effects of artificial respiration, intravenous injection of ammonia, and administration of various drugs, &c. in Indian and Australian snake-poisoning, and the physiological, chemical, and microscopical nature of snake-poisons / by the commission appointed to investigate the subject. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    succumbed even to this small quantity of the poison, notwithstanding the persevering application of artificial respiration, in twenty-six hours and twenty minutes from the time of its commencement, or thirty hours and forty minutes from the hypodermic injection of only half a grain of the virus. 19. The result of the fifth series (Appendix, pp. xx- xxi) in which only a quarter of a grain of cobra-poison was hypodermically injected, is tabulated below:— No. 28. Hrs. Ms. From the injection to the commencement of arti- ficial respiration • • • • • • 4 2 From the commencement of artificial respiration to death ... ••• 37 50 From the injection to death ... ... 41 52 Thus, it took four hours and two minutes until artificial respiration was resorted to. In four minutes more, in the absence of this system, this animal's heart would have ceased to beat and somatic death been complete. But by its steady application, life was extended to forty-one hours and fifty-two minutes. Breathing was not absolutely stopped when the method was adopted, though nearly so, but the animal was decidedly unconscious. Yet, even with the very small injection of a quarter of a grain, death resulted, without the slightest restoration of consciousness. 20. The power of artificial respiration in supporting the respiratory process; in maintaining the action of the heart, and the circulation of the blood to all parts of the body; in effecting the arterialization of the blood; in sustain- ing the life of the secreting and excreting organs, and that of the organic system of nerves; and in probably keeping up an imperfect form of nutrition of the tissues to which arterialized blood is supplied in abundance, for periods of time varying, to a great extent, according to the quantity of poison introduced into the system through the absorbent channels of the body, is, therefore, placed bey ond all question. But its influence in saving life, even where very small quantities of the poison have found entrance into the juices, is extremely problematical. It occurred to us that there might be hope in preserving life if the method were employed in conjunction with certain drugs. And though that hope was, from our previous experience of the mortal nature of the poison over animal life, very faint, we resolved to try artificial respiration with the exhibition of medicines, and in a few