408 APOCYNACE. 
and profuse salivation, with extreme prostration, so that the 
animal lies still and will not change his posture except during ~ 
the efforts at vomiting. The cerebral functions seem to be 
‘impaired, at least at the beginning of the attack ; later, when 
exhaustion has become complete, the animal remains motion- 
less, as if narcotized. The breathing is laboured, but the 
‘pupils are unchanged, and muscular tremor is constant, 
although spasms are either absent or only oceur just before 
death. As above stated,in animals killed by these poisons the 
ventricle is contracted, yet in exceptional cases it is found 
dilated with dark blood. The vomiting produced by thevetin 
is doubtless due in part to its irritant qualities, for when it is 
injected hypodermically the punctures are apt to produce 
sabscesses. The venous congestion of the stomach, which gives 
the interior of the organ a blue colour, is partly due to the 
cardiac obstruction and partly to the repeated efforts at, 
‘vomiting. According to Prof. Carpio (Phila. Med. Times, ix. 
396), the thevetin of Thevetia Yecotls produces symptoms 
almost identical with those above described, and kills by 
arresting the heart either in diastole or in systole The experi- 
ments of Cerna (Ibid., p. 426,) led him tothe following among 
other conclusions: Thevetin produces death by asphyxia and 
by cardiac paralysis; applied to the skin, i irritates, with a sen- 
sation of burning; it produces convulsions of cerebral and 
paralysis of spinal origin ; increases intestinal paralysis; lowers 
the temperature ; locally applied, it contracts the pupil; and 
it imereases salivation. Warden has confirmed the statement 
as to the production of convulsions. (Amer. Jour. Phar., 
liv. 301 *),, 
 Description.—The fresh bark of the young wood, of 
Sebi 4 to 1 inch in diameter, is green, smooth, and covered by 
a thin grey epidermis, through which thegreen colour is appa- 
rent’; it turns black when dry.. The bark from the larger 
stems has a brown suberous -ceating; the wood is white oe 
soft, with a large central pith. All parts of the plant yield an | 
abundance of acrid milky juice, The fruit.is — sigaape 
" es l4 to.2. ert diameter, and  coptains a - dd 
