23(3 Mr. Pereira on the Physiological Effects 



In commenting on Dr Hamilton's account of this poison. Dr. 

 Wallich says, " His statement of the belief of the Goorkas, that the 

 Bikh would protect them from foreign invasion, and his opinion 

 that such a kind of defence might be easily frustrated, have been 

 fully verified during the late war with Nipal. In the Turraye, 

 or low forest-lands, which skirt the approach to that country, and 

 among the lower range of hills, especially at a place called Iletounra, 

 quantities of the bruised root were thrown into wells and reser- 

 voirs, for the purpose of poisoning our men and cattle ; the at- 

 tempt, however, was very soon discovered, and effective precautions 

 taken to prevent the occurence of any serious mischief." 



Dr. Wallich was informed by Henry Colebrooke, Esq. " that the 

 Bikh is employed in the northern parts of Hindustan for destroy- 

 ing tigers. Arrows poisoned with that drug are shot from bows 

 fixed near the tracts leading to their watering places ; and it gene- 

 rally happens that the animal is found dead at the latter." 



Dr. Hamilton believed that the Bikh was a species of Caltha, but 

 Dr. Wallich {Wall, apud Seringe Mus. Helvet. I. p. 160. t. 15. f. 

 43, 44. Decand. Prodr. I. 64.) has shown that it is a species of 

 Aconiiiim, to which on account of its virulent properties he has given 

 the specific name oi ferox. The following are its characters: — 

 " A.ferox : floribus racemoso-paniculatis, villosis ; galea semicir- 

 culari, antice acute porrecta, deorsiim attenuate, ; cucullorum sacco 

 longo, angusto, calcare inclinato, labio elongato, recurvo ; filamentis 

 alatis, subsagittatis, ciliatis, ovariis, capsulis ramisque villosis ; foliis 

 quinquepartito-palmatis, subtus pubescentibus, lobis inciso-pinna- 

 tifidis, basi cuneatis, lobulis acutis, divaricatis." 



The specimens of the root of the Aconitumferox which Dr. Wal- 

 lich sent me, had been in his possession ten years. We may there- 

 fore very fairly conclude that they had lost part of their poisonous 

 properties, although, as will presently be seen, they still were very 

 active. One portion of the root was powdered, a second portion di- 

 gested in boiling rectified spirit, and a third in boiling distilled 

 water. The infusions were separately evaporated to the consis- 

 tence of soft extracts. 



During the time that the spirituous infusion was evaporating, I 

 several times tasted it, and did not at first notice in it any thing 

 peculiar. At the expiration of ten minutes, or a quarter of an 

 hour, however, a peculiar biting and numbness came on in the tip 

 of the tongue and in the lips. Shortly after the soft palate became 

 affected ; a sensation being felt, as if the velum and uvula were 

 elongated, and rested on the dorsum of the tongue ; to relieve this 

 frequent attempts were made to swallow. So powerful and un- 

 pleasant was this sensation in the soft palate, that I became rather 

 alarmed at it ; at the end of about a quarter of an hour, however, it 

 entirely left me. The numbness of the lips and tongue continued 

 for eighteen hours. 



Dr. Boott experienced the same affection of the throat, and of 



