330 



Transactions. 



other received 0-6 gram chloral per rectum, and while asleep, ten minutes 

 later, the tutin was given hypodermically ; symptoms of tutin poisoning 

 came on in less than two hours, and continued for an hour and a half ; as 

 the animal seemed likely to succumb, a further dose of 0-6 gram chloral 

 was given, and in about a quarter of an hour the symptoms subsided, and 

 the animal apparently recovered ; next day it was suffering from diarrhoea, 

 and the following day was found dead ; possibly it died more from the 

 after-effects of the chloral than from tutin, and it looked as if a little care- 

 ful nursing would have led to its recovery. 



The results of some experiments made with chloral as a remedy in tutin 

 poisoning are given in Table IX. 



Table IX. 

 Action of Chloral in antagonising Tutin. 



was given 



A guinea-pig (Exp. 167) which had received 7-5 mlgm. tutin per kilo 

 by mistake, and was then given chloral per rectum, died in a somewhat 

 similar manner. It recovered fully from the tutin convulsions, but became 

 paralysed in its hind quarters, and died on the second day after the tutin 

 It also had diarrhoea. 



Frogs (Exps. 177, 178, 179) which were given just over the lethal dose 

 of tutin (11 and 12 mlgm. per kilo) were not saved by chloral in moderate 

 doses given hypodermically at the same time. Control Exp. 176. 



On the whole, the use of chloral seems to be justified, and in cases of 

 poisoning in man, where the symptoms can be more accurately observed 

 and interpreted, and dangers more easily circumvented, it should prove 

 of great value. The beneficent action of tutin on the heart would allow 

 of the use of larger doses of chloral than are usually employed. 



Paraldehyde and Chloroform. — In the experiments on blood-pressure, 

 where the animal was under a large dose (1*2 to 1*5 c.c.) of paraldehyde, 

 convulsions nevertheless appeared, and the mode of death was that of tutin 

 poisoning. From such a dose of paraldehyde a rabbit may recover (Exp. 

 181), but the dose is a massive one, and is apparently unable to prevent 

 the development of tutin symptoms. In these experiments, when it was 



