14 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Biolog. 



stopped again, and remained with his head couched on his fore paws. He de- 

 clined food, but drank a little water. Seventeen hours later lie was found 

 dead. His urine contained neither sugar, albumen, nor the coloring matter of 

 the sassy. His stomach contained a mass of hay, lettuce, etc., as is usual with 

 rabbits, whose stomachs are never quite empty. The coloring matter of the 

 sassy seemed to have disappeared, and there was not the least evidence of in- 

 flammatory action in the stomach or intestines. The heart was large and 

 relaxed, the right cavities containing most blood. The blood vessels of the 

 meninges of the brain were considerably injected, but no other abnormal ap- 

 pearances presented themselves. 



Experiment. A small doe rabbit received under the skin of her back eighty 

 drops of the tincture of sassy, previously warmed until it scarcely retained any 

 odor of alcohol, and was thick and turbid. At the same time forty drops were 

 given internally. At the close of half an hour, she was sluggish and unwilling 

 to move, although able to do so when pushed. This torpor gradually increased, 

 the skin became insensitive, the eyes remained half closed, and the limbs ap- 

 peared feeble, especially the hind legs. When roughly shaken, the torpor passed 

 off for a time, and the rabbit even ate a small quantity of lettuce. In a few 

 minutes, however, the animal again sought the corner, and relapsed anew into 

 the sjate of stupor above described. If carefully handled, it was then possible 

 to place the animal on her side, or even to suspend her, head downwards, with- 

 out the least show of resistance or discomfort. During the continuance of these 

 symptoms, the heart beat feebly and the respiration was labored, and sometimes 

 jerking in character. Eighteen hours after receiving the sassy, the rabbit was 

 more active, but not free from a marked languor or difficulty, which appeared 

 in all of her motions. Twenty-five hours after the poisoning, the stupor seemed 

 to have deepened again, and was so profound that the eyes remaiaed nearly 

 closed, and the head, resting on the fore paws, rolled to one side or the other. 

 The rectal temperature was now 102f F., or about one to two degrees below 

 the normal standard. So insensible was the rabbit at this time, that she did 

 not appear to feel the passage of the thermometer bulb through the sphincter, 

 although the operation is usually resisted by all animals with great energy. 

 Within ten minutes she slept again, notwithstanding that the thermometer was 

 still in the bowels. Fifty hours from the date of the first dose, the animal was 

 again reviving. At this time she received I3 of the tincture in the stomach, 

 and 1,5 in the rectum, where it was confined by suitable means, In twenty 

 minutes chewiDg motions of the jaws were observed, the head fell and was 

 caught up again, and at last reposed on the fore paws, the pupils contracted, 

 the heart became slow and irregular, the respiration quick and labored, and at 

 length, in one hour from the last dose, death occurred with general convulsions 

 and sudden dilatation of the pupils. Upon examination, post mortem, the mem- 

 branes of the brain were found to be highly congested, but no other appearance 

 of specific value presented itself. 



Experiment. A small cat received internally five grains of dried extract of 

 sassy. At the close of two hours she was sluggish, and, half an hour later, 

 vomited with great violence. The matters rejected had none of the color of the 

 extract. Another dose of four grains was vomited up within an hour, and ap- 

 parently caused great discomfort, due perhaps to the nausea caused by the 

 drug rather than to pain. The disposition towards stupor, which was seen 

 after the first dose, appeared to be relieved by the emesis. The cat survived, 

 and next day was none the worse for the ordeal. 



Experiment. A large pigeon received, under the skin of the belly, eighty gtt. 

 of the partially evaporated tincture of sassy. At the same time twenty drops of 

 the tincture were given internally. Within half an hour the pigeon sought a 

 corner, and assumed the usual sleeping posture, the eyes closing and the respi- 

 ration being rather uneasy and laborious. Now and then it awoke and stag- 

 gered about, only to sleep again in a few minutes. When thoroughly aroused 



[June, 



