238 Mr. Pereira on the Physiological Effects 



Exp. 2. — One grain of the alcoholic extract was introduced into 

 the peritoneal sac of a small rabbit. In two minutes the posterior 

 extremities were weakened : in three minutes, the breathing be- 

 came difficult, and of a peculiar gasping kind : in three minutes and 

 a half, the head was drawn back : in live minutes the animal was 

 slightly convulsed, and fell on his side : in six minutes convulsed, 

 and made ineffectual attempts to rise : the breathing was very la- 

 borious. At the end of eight minutes the posterior extremities, 

 when pricked, gave no evidence of possessing sensation: In nine 

 minutes general convulsions came on, and at nine minutes and a half 

 the animal was apparently dead. At this time the pupils were 

 much dilated, but in three minutes after began to contract. 



Galvanism. — Six minutes after death the voluntary muscles were 

 susceptible of galvanism ; but this susceptibility soon ceased. Con- 

 tractions were excited in both auricles of his heart, and the right 

 auricle repeated its contractions after the poles of the battery were 

 removed. The effect of galvanism on the muscular fibres of the 

 ventricles was doubtful. I thought that I perceived slight contrac- 

 tions, but they were not noticed by others. 



Dissection. — Right side of the heart distended with dark-colour- 

 ed blood ; left side empty. Lungs florid red. Pulmonary arteries 

 distended. 



Remarks. — The first and prominent symptoms here, were the 

 weakness of the posterior extremities and the difliculty of breathing. 

 On feeling the chest, it appeared to me as if spasm of the diaphragm 

 came on at each inspiration. The di-awing back of the head did 

 not appear to be altogether involuntary, but as if it were to fix the 

 head, and thereby assist the breathing. The convulsions in this and 

 the other experiments, were very different to those produced by 

 strychnine : in the former cases they were quite temporary, whereas 

 those produced by strychnine last for several seconds. 



Exp. 3. — One grain of the spirituous extract (a little drier than 

 in the last experiment) was introduced into the subcutaneous cel- 

 lular tissue of the left lumbar region of a rabbit. Immediately after 

 the experiment, the animal continued to eat, but at the end of six 

 minutes refused to do so. At seven minutes the faeces were eva- 

 cuated : at eight minutes grinding of the teeth ; head drawn back ; 

 a little saliva flowed from the mouth. In nine minutes the move- 

 ments of the animal became unsteady ; and at nine minutes and a 

 lialf he became unable to support himself; convulsions. In ten 

 minutes the posterior extremities were insensible : in eleven mi- 

 nutes the convulsions became much more active, particularly in the 

 posterior extremities ; repeated faint cries. At thirteen minutes 

 the animal was lying on its left side, and was free from convulsions. 

 At fourteen minutes violent action in the abdominal muscles : four- 

 teen minutes and a half, convulsions in the posterior extremities : 

 urine passed : pupils much dilated. At the expiration of fifteen 



