NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 399 



dominated, the paralysis of the cord not occurring until the period 

 of death, but in two experiments the peripheral paralysis failed to 

 occur, while the spinal paralysis was manifest much earlier. 



VI. The increase in the number of heart beats which occurs 

 early in conia-poisoning, is due to paresis of the pneumogastrics; 

 the subsequent decrease is due to paresis of the vaso-motor nerves, 

 this paresis being due to commencing paralysis of the motor tract 

 of the spinal cord. 



VII. The primary acceleration in the respiratory movements is 

 also due to pneumogastric paresis, while their diminution, which 

 soon occurs, is caused by, and proceeds pari j^assu with the pa- 

 resis of the spinal motor tract. 



VIII. The salivary secretion is the only secretion markedly in- 

 creased by a poisonous dose of conia. 



IX. The voluntary muscles escape unscathed in conia-poisoning; 

 their contractility, however, may be destroyed by soaking in a 

 concentrated solution of the alkaloid. Contractions of the non- 

 striated muscular fibres of the alimentary canal and bladder are 

 caused by poisonous doses. 



X. Contraction of the pupil only occurs when the drug is 

 directly applied to the eyeball ; it is then due to irritation. The 

 dilatation of the pupil occurring after the absorption of conia is 

 due to paresis of the peripheral extremities of the ciliary branches 

 of rnotor-oculi nerves, no longer enabling the sphincter of the iris 

 to counteract the radiating fibres supplied by the more slowty 

 paralyzing sympathetic nerve. 



XI. Conia, unlike almost every other drug of the materia medica, 

 and contrary to the statement found in all works on therapeutics, 

 causes a decided increase in temperature. 



XII. The genital depression attributed to conium by the 

 ancients must have depended entirely on their imaginations, and 

 not on atrophy of the testes and mammae. 



XIII. Conia is absorbed and is eliminated unchanged by the 

 kidneys. 



