I 



of the Aconitum ferox. 241 



the vein. As I have before said, the greatest care was taken to 

 guard against the introduction of air, and I, as well as every one 

 who witnessed the experiment, were perfectly satisfied that none 

 was introduced. As to the spirit and water introduced into the 

 vein, although the death of a strong dog could hardly be attributed 

 to the small quantity of these liquids, yet I resolved to try what 

 the effect would be of throwing a mixture of these liquids into the 

 vein. The experiment was performed, and will be detailed pre- 

 sently. I need only state here, that it proves most satisfactorily 

 that the inference above drawn was correct. 



Exp. 7. — One grain of the spirituous extract was introduced 

 into the peritoneal cavity of a small rabbit, which had been kept 

 twenty hours without food. At the end of one and a half minute, 

 the animal licked the wound and laid down. In two and a half mi- 

 nutes the breathing became difficult ; slight stupor : the head was 

 held erect. In three minutes the head became quite bent back on 

 the spine ; convulsions. At four and a half minutes the hind legs 

 were partially paralyzed. At five minutes the animal uttered plain- 

 tive cries ; moved about with difficulty, drawing the hind legs after 

 him in a kind of spasmodic manner : breathing slow and gasping. 

 In seven minutes fell on his side : in nine minutes quite vertigi- 

 nous : in ten and a half minutes tetanically convulsed. At the end 

 of eleven minutes the animal was dead. 



Remarks. — This experiment was made with the view of confirm- 

 ing Exp. 2. It will be observed that the symptoms were pre- 

 cisely similar. The only difference between the two experiments 

 is, that in Exp. 2. the animal became aflfected half a minute sooner, 

 and died one and a half minute earlier. 



Exp. 8. February 19. — Present Dr. Falconer, and my brother 

 Mr. Jer. Pereira. 



Three grains of the spirituous extract, enveloped in a little cab- 

 bage leaf, were placed in the throat of a small rabbit, so that the 

 animal was obliged to swallow it. The only effect observed was 

 the continual chewing, as noticed in Exp. 5. At the end of four 

 hours the animal was killed, but as the stomach was found distend- 

 ed with food, no inferences could be drawn as to the local action of 

 the poison. 



Remarks. — The experiment was made with a view of observing 

 whether the poison exerted any local irritating action ; but unfor- 

 tunately no inferences can be drawn from it, for the reason above 

 mentioned. It is to be recollected that rabbits do not vomit, and 

 therefore the absence of this symptom proves nothing. If it be 

 true, as Messrs. Morgan and Addison assert, that all poisons ope- 

 rate by producing sympathetic impressions, it is quite clear from 

 the experiments now related, as well as numerous others on record, 

 that the stomach is not an organ the most susceptible of sympathe- 



