“178 RUBIACHZ. 
sensibility is obtuse and the limbs tremulous. If, finally, the 
dose has been excessive, complete loss of consciousness may - 
occur, the sight and hearing fail, the skin loses its eam: = 
and the limbs their power of motion. = 
The usual and most probable interpretation of these pheno- 
mena is that quinine in moderate doses primarily stimulates 
the nervous centres and increases the amount of blood circula 
ing in them; that in excessive doses it diminishes the supply 
of blood to the same parts; and that this diminution results 
mainly from the depressed power of the heart. The most 
- important fact in support of this view is that the giddine 
confusion of sight, and faintness caused by quinine subside 
as soon as the patient lies dewn. - 
On the respiratory organs the primary action of quinine, is 
stimulant, slightly increasing the rate of breathing. Poi 
ous doses occasion dyspnoea and noisy respiration, which 
also jerking, interrupted, retarded, and finally arrested, d 
taking place with symptoms of asphyxia. In some cases 
sputa have been bloody, Doubtless the latter phenomena are 
due to a paralyzing influence exerted by quinine upon 
respiratory nervous centres, coupled with an analogous ac 
of the drug upon the cardiac nerves and ganglia. Accordi 
to certain experiments upon rabbits (Strassburg), qui 
does not diminish the exhalation of carbonic acid, even W 
_it lowers the temperature. 
On the digestive organs small doses of quinine, a8 © al 
pure bitters, stimulate the appetite and digestion, but in le 
and continued doses it irritates the stomach and confines t 
bowels at first, although it may afterward cause diarrhea. 
The fact that when quinine cures intermittent fever it also 
' contracts the spleen, if that organ is enlarged, isa familiar one. 
It is also known that when quinine is largely administered 
animals for various experimental purposes the spleen is fc 
pale and hard and its capsule wrinkled. These effects 0 
even when all the nervous trunks supplying the organ 
divided, Hence, it is concluded that quinine must act ~~ 
