ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee 
ree wrt fa ey ae vi. 31? / “a. i a ill oe a? kf a ee = 
. 
1018 
PHYSIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS WITH ECHITAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE, 
Experiment A.—Guinea pig of 208 grams: 0.05 gram of pure echitamine hydro- 
chloride dissolved in 1 cubic centimeter of water, injected intraperitoneally. 
In two minutes there is great uneasiness with spasmodic contractions of the 
muscles of the ears and eyelids, followed very rapidly by violent twitchings of 
muscles of the head, the animal apparently becoming rapidly very weak. Violent 
convulsive spasms soon follow, the marked characteristic being the difficulty in 
breathing. The final stages show the usual gasping for breath as in cases of 
death by asphyxia. Death takes place in seven minutes, 
Experiment B.—Guinea pig of 320 grams received 2 cubic centimeters of a 1 
per cent solution of echitamine hydrochloride (0.02 gram) intraperitoneally at 10 
a.m. After shaving the abdomen and preparing for the injection, the animal was 
returned to its cage, and after a few minutes the respirations were counted. The 
respirations were also counted at intervals after injecting the poison. The results 
of the experiment are tabulated: 
Respira- 
Time. tions per Remarks, 
minute, 
Before injection -..--_.--.- 138 
After 3 minutes ......-.... 111 Animal quiet; very slight, infrequent, spasmodie con- 
tractions of muscles of ears and eyelids. 
After 6 minutes .__....---_ 115 
After 9 minutes ____.-_.-__ 106 Twitchings are increasing in strength and frequency. 
After 15 minutes ________-- 63 Twitchings generalized; stronger; prolonged expira- 
tion. 
Ai Ua ini ites oe Soe aes Animal crawling uneasily about cage. 
After TB trinutes ..cccuiss 48 Respirations shallow, largely abdominal. 
After 21 minutes _._.----_- 30 Gasping expirations followed by prolonged interval. 
reer ae IR GOS o.oo .Sas nant ackee Convulsions for a few seconds; death. 
An autopsy exposing the abdominal and thoracic cavities after apparent death 
showed irregular, spasmodic contractions of both auricles and ventricles of the 
heart for over two hours after all respiration had ceased. Intestinal peristalsis 
was still active for one-half an hour after the cessation of respiration. 
Experiment C.—Guinea pig of 230 grams: 0.01 gram of echitamine hydrochlo- 
ride in 1 cubic centimeter of water, injected intraperitoneally. In six minutes the 
animal is very weak and trembling. It crawls with difficulty uneasily around the 
cage. There soon follows the stage of more profound intoxication characterized 
by repeated, brief, clonic spasms. The breathing toward the end is very shallow 
and is almost entirely performed by the accessory (abdominal) muscles. Dead in 
eighteen minutes. 
An autopsy made immediately after apparent death shows the lungs to be 
greatly congested. The heart has dilated and shows abortive auricular beats. 
The intestines are found still to exhibit strong peristaltic movements. The 
exposed heart continues to contract irregularly for about three hours, showing that 
this alkaloid is not a “heart poison,” as has been claimed by some writers, 
Experiment D—Guinea pig of 245 grams: 0.005 gram of pure echitamine 
hydrochloride in 1 cubie centimeter of water injected intraperitoneally. The 
same series of symptoms as occur in Experiment B are observed but none of the 
stages are as violent. However, they are much more prolonged. The animal 
continued to be ill for about forty-eight hours, but then completely recovered. 
