FiTCHETT. — FJiysioloijical Action of Tutin. 295 



with slaked lime the tutin underwent decomposition, and could not be 

 recovered. This fact recalls Hughes's statement that lime destroyed the 

 activity of the tutu poison. 



The close relationship of the New Zealand tutu to the European ('. 

 myrtifolia, together with the fact that Lauder Lindsay (17) and others have 

 thought it probable that the active principle of tutu is coriamyrtin, lends 

 interest to the following table of differences existing between the two bodies, 

 as given by Easterfield and Aston (2.3) : — 



Coriamyi'tin. Tutin. 



Melting-point . . . . 220° C. (according to 208° C. 



Merck. 229° C.) 



Carbon . . . . . . 64-1 per cent. 60-7 per cent. 



Hydrogen . . . . . . 6-6 per cent. 5-8 per cent. 



With hydriodic acid and potash (lives fuchsia-red Gives nil. 



colour 



Solubility in 100 parts of water 144 at 22° C. 1-9 at 10° C. 



Effect on pupil . . . . Contracts it Dilates it. 



It may be said here, and will be shown later, that tutin has little, if any, 

 action on the pupil when applied locally. 



The physiological activity of the new compound was put to the test 

 by Mr. Gilruth (23), then Chief Govermnent Veterinarian in New Zealand. 

 He administered to a pig weighing 17 kilograms, 0-129 grams of tutin, dis- 

 solved in water and mixed with half a pound of pollard. In half an hour 

 uneasiness and spasmodic movements of the jaws were observed ; then 

 the breathing was noticed to be accelerated, and vomiting occurred. The 

 symptoms gradually increased in severity, until the animal was seized with 

 tetanic convulsions. The convulsions were at first separated by intervals 

 of about fifteen minutes, but they gradually increased in severity and fre- 

 quency until they became almost continuous. Each convulsive seizure, 

 after beginning with a tonic spasm that lasted half a minute, was accom- 

 panied by screaming and stertorous l)reathing. Finally the animal died 

 in a convulsion five hours after the poison had been administered. 



Further experiments on cats testified to the marked toxicity of the com- 

 pound — e.g., a dose of 0-01 gram killed a kitten weighing 1 kilogram in 

 forty minutes ; 0-001 gram administered to a cat weighing 2 kilograms caused 

 a fit in three hours and illness for the next twenty-four hours. The same 

 cat was afterwards killed by a dose of 0-003 gram. A dose of about a milli- 

 gram caused nausea, vomiting, and incapacity for work for twenty-four 

 hours in a full-grown, healthy man. 



B. ORIGINAL WURK. 



(For full details of the experiments, see Protocols;) 



1. General Action of Tutin on Mammals. 



[a.) Action on Cats. 



The effect of various doses upon cats will be shown first. 



Effects of a large dose : 9-8 mlgm. tutin (3 mlgm. per kilo body- weight) 

 were injected under the skin of a full-grown female cat, weighing 3-28 kilo- 

 grams (Exp. 1). The animal was placed in a hutch, and watched continuously- 

 Four minutes after the injection it was noticed that respiration was very 

 rapid (48 to the quarter-minute). The animal seemed sleepy and dazed, 



