On other subjects also, besides that of vaso-motor paralysis, the strychnine treatment of snakebite has thrown an unexpected light. We did not know before it was demonstrated by this treatment that sleep is merely a reduced discharge of motor-nerve force, a partial turning off of the motor-batteries, by which, through rest, they are invigorated for fresh action during the waking hours, and that the degrees of this reduction range in their effects from sleep, more or less deep, down to coma, and can be raised again from coma to sleep, and from sleep to complete wakefulness. We knew that every movement and action is brought about by a discharge of this force, but we did not know that even the silent thought must be carried on the wings of it, and cannot take place without it, at least not in our present state of existence. All these important revelations are now the property of science, and it will be well for science to take note of them. * * * * * In conclusion, the writer may be permitted to express his joy and thankfulness for having been made the instrument, by Divine Providence, to confer a boon on humanity that will prevent much suffering and thousands of premature, untimely deaths. +-----------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note: | | | | Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the | | original document have been preserved. | | | | Typographical errors corrected in the text: | | | | Page 23 intracardial changed to intracardiac | | Page 69 Banarjee changed to Banerjee | | Page 73 ease changed to case | +-----------------------------------------------+