Abstracts. 27 



2. The Pharmacological Action of Tutu, the Toot-plant of New Zea- 

 land, by PiofcssiU' C. It. Murshall (Tiaiis. iv<>y. Soc. of i'^tliii burgh, 

 vol. xlvii, 1910, pt. ii, No. 13, pp. 287-316, i) figures). MS. 

 received, 20th November, 1!)09 : read, 21,st June, 1909; issued 

 separately, 29th Jaiuiary, 1910. 



Professor Marshall has been working at the pharmacology of tutu during the 

 last ten years, the pure tutin being supplied by Professor" Easterfield and the 

 abstractor. Being published after the researches of Dr. Fitchett and Professor 

 Malcolm (Trans. N.Z. Inst., xli, p. 286), the author's paper will no doubt be read 

 with considerable interest. Professor Marshall in a footnote states, in so far as 

 the experiments are common with those of Fitchett and Malcolm the results are 

 in general agreement : on a few physiological points imly are the researches not in 

 accord. 



Professor Marshall thus summarises his lesults : — 



1. Tutin, the active principle of the toot-plant, causes epileptoid convulsions 

 in various classes of animals. After large doses to I'abbits the earliest convulsions 

 commence with a general tonic spasm, which is followed by clonic movements. 

 After small convulsant doses the convulsions begin with clonic spasms of the muscles 

 of the head. These extend to the fore and then to the hind part of the body, and 

 may terminate in a tonic spasm. The latter convulsions after larger doses also 

 assume this form. After the initial convulsions following small doses, somersault- 

 ing movements are not uncommon. 



2. The convulsions are mainly of cortical and pontine origin. Convulsive move- 

 ments can be obtained when the brain is divided below the pons, but they are less 

 characteristic and are more difficult to induce than when the pons is intact. In 

 frogs the optic lobes seem to be the most important centres alfected. Unequivocal 

 conclusive movements were not obtained below a section of the spinal cord. 



3. The convulsions arising in the pons are very susceptible to anaesthetics. This 

 probably explains why convulsions are limited to one .side after excision of one 

 cerebral hemisphere during the continuance of the anaesthesia. 



4. In unanaesthetizecl rabbits the two fore limbs act together, and the two hind 

 limbs act in concert and synchronously during tutin convulsions ; in the anaes- 

 thetized animal the limb-movements are often asynchronous. Individual muscles of 

 the limbs often act vicariously, and this probably explains the irregular clonus 

 which the movements of the limbs show. 



5. Preceding the onset of the convulsions the medullary centres are stimulated. 

 This effect is also produced by non-convulsant closes. 



6. All doses which produce an obvious action cause in rabbits a fall of body- 

 temperature. 



7. When heated with dilute caustic-alkali solutions, tutin rapidly decomposes, 

 the product being pharmacologically inactive. Prolonged heating with dilute acids 

 leads to the same result. 



8. The substance most closely allied to tutin — namely, corianiyrtin — is a more 

 powerful convulsant, and, for similar physiological doses, is more rapid and more 

 transient in action than tutin. B. C. A. 



3. New Zealand Ctenophores. " Raccolte planctoniche, fatte dalla R, 

 nave ' Liguria ' " : vol. ii, Ctenofori, by Alessandro Ghigi, 1909. 



In 1906 there was published (Trans. N.Z. Inst., xxxix, p. 138) an account of 

 two species of Ctenophores from the New Zealand seas, the first to be recorded 

 scientifically — viz., Bcroe s/takc'i'peari and Enplokainis au.<frali.<'. Professor Ghigi 

 now publishes a report on the representatives of this group collected during the 

 cruise of the Italian warship "Liguria." The ship visited New Zealand in 1904, 

 and amongst the new species recorded are two from our seas — viz., Hormi'phora 

 lohialh and Snhnudia lii/urinp, the latter being the type and sole species of a new 

 genus. The former was obtained between Norfolk I.sland and Auckland ; the latter 



