218 Mr Breton on the Vegetable Poison with which 



ness then came on, and it rose and attempted to move. The 

 giddiness remained two or three minutes, and returned in the 

 same manner at an interval of a quarter of an hour. At half 

 past three it had a copious watery evacuation, and from that 

 period it remained in a languid state without any other symp- 

 toms being manifested, until ten minutes after six, when a 

 slight convulsive fit came on, and it died two minutes after- 

 wards. 



A third and fourth pigeon were infected in the same man- 

 ner with this poison. In both, symptoms were manifested 

 similar to those which were apparent in the first pigeon, but 

 less violent, and they both died in similar convulsions of about 

 two minutes duration ; the third pigeon in forty-five minutes, 

 and the fourth pigeon, in forty-two minutes after the poison 

 was inserted. 



In the inside of both thighs of two rabbits the poison was 

 inserted with the point of a lancet. Ten minutes afterwards 

 the first rabbit manifested general uneasiness, its respiration 

 became very quick, and a tremulous motion of its sides and 

 flanks was perceptible. About half an hour after the poison 

 was inserted, a copious watery evacuation took place, and 

 then it appeared to be getting languid. It, however, moved 

 about occasionally on the table without any other apparent 

 symptoms than those described, till the coming on of a con- 

 vulsive fit, when it suddenly made a bound, struggled violent- 

 ly for two or three minutes, and died at the expiration of fifty- 

 seven minutes after the insertion of the poison. 



The second rabbit for upwards of a quarter of an houifc 

 appeared unaffected. It then gasped for three or four minutes, 

 as if oppressed by sickness of stomach and difficulty of breath- 

 ing, became languid, and had a copious watery evacuation. *• 

 It remained languid, and suddenly it bounded up from the 

 table, and in a convulsive fit struggled violently for about two>^ 

 minutes, and died in twenty-nine minutes from the period of 

 the insertion of the poison. 



The rabbits and pigeons were full grown,«and in the thighs 

 of each the quantity of poison inserted could not have exceed- 

 ed five or six grains, yet symptoms were manifested indicative 

 of considerable excitement and irritation, and in all of them, 



