NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 377 



repeating these experiments several times, be drew the conclusion 

 previously given. 



His results have been confirmed Irv Gultman (Reil. Mat. Med. 

 d. Chem. Pflanzenstoffe), and b} r Verigo (Deuts. Zeitschr. of Arz- 

 neikunde, xxviii. 2, 1870), and by the writer in a large number of 

 experiments. Thej r have been denied b}' Dyce-Brown and David- 

 son (Med. Times and Gaz., Jul}-, 1870), on account of the directly 

 opposite results which the)' obtained in the following experi- 

 ments : 



" 1. In a young cat the femoral vessels of one side were ligated 

 under chloroform. The animal was allowed to recover from its 

 effects, when it was found that the limb operated upon was quite 

 as freely movable as in the uninjured leg, showing that the ner- 

 vous cords had not been included with the vessels. Soon after 

 the poison had been administered the hind legs began to move 

 feebly, the ligatured one being equally affected witli the sound one, 

 and the two advanced pari passu in the general paralysis." 



" 2. A full-grown rabbit was treated in precisely the same way 

 and gave identical results, the hind limb which had been operated 

 on becoming gradually paralyzed in the same ratio as the other." 



As these experiments will have to be discussed further on in 

 this paper, I will defer my criticism until then. 



Recently, upon the foundation of a single, crude, and incon- 

 clusive experiment, Harley (Old Vegetable Neurotics, p. 11) re- 

 advanced the opinion, formerly held by Albers, that conia affects 

 chiefly the corpora striata, and the other nervous centres at the 

 base of the brain, supposed to mediate between the will and spinal 

 cord. The following is the experiment from which he draws his 

 conclusions : 



"At 5.30 P. M., August 23, I injected n^xv of the Succus 

 conii beneath the skin of a full-grown, active, male mouse. Seven 

 minutes afterwards he began to stumble ; at the tenth minute he 

 tumbled over several times while sitting, kangaroo fashion, upon 

 his hind legs cleaning his face. Up to the twentieth minute the 

 little animal continued tolerably active and self-possessed, getting 

 up as if nothing was the matter, as often as, in sitting or walking, 

 he happened to roll upon his side. He now gathered himself to- 

 gether in his usual crouching posture, and resting his nose upon 

 the table became \evy still and dull, with the eyes partially closed ; 

 respirations 160 the normal rate and regular. When aroused 

 25 



