NOTES ON DIPPING FLUIDS. 129 



■• Injection of relatively large doses (hypodermic ally) into rabbits 

 caused some unsteadiness of gait, and in one case oral administration 

 ot about "3 gramme caused convulsions resembling those of strychnine, 

 wliich, however, lasted only for a short time. The animal recovered. 



■■ Intravenous injection of ten milligrams into an anaesthetised 

 i-abbit caused sudden stoppage of respiration without convulsions; the 

 heart continued to beat vigorously for a long time afterwards. 

 Intravenous injection into pithed frogs caused at' first slow, strong 

 beats and then cessation of heart movements. 



" Negative results were obtained in experiments on the influence 

 of the alkaloid and its salt on yeast fermentation, conductivity of 

 nerves, and on the pupil of a frog's eye. 



" The investigation is still in progress. 



"John Malcolm. 



'■ Phvsiologioal Laboratory, Universitv of Otago, Dunedin, 2nd June, 

 '1908." 



In conclusion, I must express my thanks to Professor Easterfield 

 for the interest he has taken in this research (which is being con- 

 tinued), and for having defrayed a portion of the cost of the investiga- 

 tion from a grant made to him by the Royal Society of London for 

 researches on the poisonous plants of New Zealand. 



Bibliography. 



■'• Forest Flora of New Zealand," by T. Kirk, F.L.S., Wellington, 

 1899. 



■■ Handbook of New Zealand Flora," by J. D. Hooker, London, 

 1867. 



"Manual of the New Zealand Flora," by T. F. Cheeseman, 

 Wellington, 1906. 



" Dictionaiy of the Active Principles of Plants," C. E. Sohn, 

 London, 1894. 



"Watt's Dictionaiy of Chemistry," Vol. VI., 1883, p. 231, 

 " Atherosperma." 



'■ Indigenous Vegetable Drugs," by J. H. Maiden, Sydney, 1899. 



" Transactions of the New Zealand Institute," Vol. I., 1868, essay 

 by Colenso. 



" Select Extra-tropical Plants," by F. Von Mueller, Melbourne, 

 1895. 



" Physiology of Plants," Pfeffer. 



'■ United States Dispensatory," 1907, Philadelphia. 



"Vegetable Alkaloids," by Pictet. Translation by Biddle, New 

 York, 1904. 



2.— NOTES ON DIPPING FLUIDS: COMPOSITION AND CHANGE 



DURING USE; AND ANALYSIS. 

 By J. C. BRVNNICE, F.I.C., Chemist to the Department of Agriculture and Stock. 



In my last annual report to the Under Secretary of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture and Stock I drew attention to the importance of 

 conducting experiments with various dipping fluids. Since that time 

 some careful observations have been made by a few of our inspectors, 



