Observations on the movements of the heart of the copper-head snake (Hoplocephalus superbus, Günth.) in and out of the body / by D. McAlpine.

  • McAlpine, Daniel, 1848-1932.
Date:
1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on the movements of the heart of the copper-head snake (Hoplocephalus superbus, Günth.) in and out of the body / by D. McAlpine. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Art. Y.—Obset'vations on the Movements of the Heart of the Copper-head Snake {Hoplocephalut aibperbus,^ Gilnth.) in and out of the Body. 21 OCT 91 m By D. McAlpine, F.C.S. .. [Bead June 12, 1890.] Having already carried out a series of observations on the movements, both of progression and pulsation, in the hearts of a few specimens from each of the five great divisions of the Yertebrata, and which were communicated to the Royal Society of Edinburgh last year, I thought it might also be of interest to members of this Society, to have the results in the same direction from a few more well-known native animals. The two specimens of copper-head snake, which supply the material for the fii'st portion of this paper, were captured at Oakleigh, on 21st April. The larger of tlie two was killed on the .spot, by severing the spinal cord at its junction with the brain, and the other was taken home alive to be chloroformed. Since it is part of this investigation to see the effect of different modes of death, on the after-movements of the heart, I will describe separately and briefly these two cases. The heart is situated between i and i of the length of the body from the head end, and consists of two auricles and a ventiicle, the single cavity of which is imperfectly divided by a septum. The first snake killed on the spot in the manner indicated was 30|- inches long when fulty extended, and as Professor McCoy in his Prodromus gives the average as 5 ft or 6 ft. for this species, this one would be regarded as rather a small specimen. It was a male, like the other, and killed at 2.30 p.m. About 5^ hours afterwards, it wa.s opened up from the ventral surface, and the heart was found beating steadily at an average rate of 9^ beats per minute, or 93 beats in 10 minutes. The heart was still within the pericardium, vvhicli was next removed, and the beats again observed. An average of 8 beats per minute