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1019 
These experiments have been selected as being typical of the physio- 
logical action of the alkaloid from a long series which included twenty 
animals and exactly the same effects were observed in every case. 
Very much smaller doses than those given above are sufficient seriously 
to interfere with the codrdination of the muscles in a guinea pig, accom- 
panied by a persistent desire to lie down. 
Experiment E.—Guinea pig of 230 grams: A sewing needle, dipped twice into 
a strong extract of dita bark and successively dried over a flame is inserted into 
the side of the animal to a distance of about 3 millimeters and then withdrawn. 
The guinea pig runs for a short distance and then lies down. It soon becomes 
very weak and its power of locomotion is seriously interfered with. Similar 
results are obtained on repeating this experiment. A control treated with an 
unpoisoned needle was not affected. 
The minimum fatal dose of echitamine hydrochloride for a guinea 
pig of about 200 grams is 0.005 gram or 0.025 gram per kilogram of 
body weight. This dose is fatal for some animals, whereas others have 
recovered. 
Kehitamine is not a poison for protoplasm. Amoebe suspended in a 
1 per cent solution of echitamine hydrochloride seem to thrive quite 
well, no decrease in their motions being observed during two hours; 
neither is such a poison found in the aqueous solution of the bark. The 
latter when concentrated until it contains one per cent of the alkaloid, 
has no effect on the motility of amoebae. The use by the natives of 
dita extract in place of quinine for malaria or for amoebic dysentery 
would therefore seem to be of doubtful value. More comprehensive 
physiological tests on this alkaloid are now being undertaken and will be 
reported later, together with the further chemical study. 
Hesse also mentions two other alkaloids, oxyechitamine and echitenine, 
but these were obviously not pure. A number of experiments on a 
substance corresponding in properties to his echitenine, have been made 
by me, but.as I have not been able to obtain the pure alkaloid, I will 
reserve the publication of these data until a later paper. 
DATURA FASTUOSA Linn.” (Solanacee). 
Datura alba is distributed over tropical Asia, Africa, America, and 
Malaya. It is common about towns in the Philippines. The natives’ 
names for the plant are talamponai, catchibong, and catchubung. In 
all parts of the East this plant is considered to be poisonous and it is 
used quite commonly with criminal intent in India and Indo-China. In 
China it is often mixed with tea or a tea is prepared from the leaves 
which is said to taste deceptively like the genuine article, so that it can 
be used as a poison without exciting suspicion in the victim. The early 
symptoms of datura poisoning are dilatation of the pupil, drowsiness and 
*D. fastuosa Linn. var. alba Clarke, in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. (1883), 4. 
Linn., Syst. ed. X, 932. 
