POISONS. 227 



sohition of morphia. Half a minute after being 

 introduced connuencemcnt of torpidity ensued, 

 shown by contractions becoming fewer and feebler 

 In one minute the feeble impulses emanating from 

 the prepotent lithocyst failed to spread far through 

 the contractile tissue, appearing to encounter a 

 growing resistance. Eventually this resistance 

 became so great that only a very small portion of 

 contractile tissue in the immediate neighbourhood 

 of the lithocyst contracted, and this in a very slow 

 and feeble way. Two minutes after immersion 

 even these partial contractions entirely ceased, and 

 soon afterwards all parts of the animal w^ere com- 

 pletely dead to stimulation. Recovery in normal 

 water slower than that after chloroform, but still 

 soon quite complete. Repeated experiment on this 

 individual four times without injury." 



10. Alcohol. — The solution must be strong^ to 

 cause complete intoxication. The first effect on 

 Sarsia is to cause a great increase in the rapidity 

 of the swimming motions — so much so, indeed, that 

 the bell has no time to expand properly between 

 the occurrence of the successive systoles, which, in 

 consequence, are rendered feeble. These motions 

 gradually die out, leaving the animal quite motion- 

 less. The nectocalyx is now responsive to stimuli 

 applied at the tentacles, and sometimes two or 

 three contractions will follow such a stimulus, as if 

 the spontaneity of the animal were slightly aroused 

 by the irritation. Soon, however, only one contrac- 

 tion is given in response to every tentacular irrita- 

 tion, and by-and-by this also ceases — the Medusa 



