is produced ly certain veget'alle Poisons. 89 



It has been formerly supposed by Dr. Mead and other 

 •physiologists, that a poison may produce death by acting 

 on the extremities of the nerves of the stomach and intes- 

 tines, without being absorbed into the circulation. That it 

 should by tliese means be capable of aficctiiis the' brain is 

 not lo be wondered at, when we consider t!ie nLun(j.rous 

 and various sympathies between this organ and the alimen- 

 tary canal, evidently independent of any other communi- 

 cation than the nerves. 



Experiments icilh the Essential Oil of Bitter Almonds*. 



Exp. 5. One drop of the essential oil of bitter al- 

 monds was applied to the tongue of a young cat. She 

 was instantly seized with violent convulsions ; then lay on 

 one side motionless, insensible, breathing in a hurried man- 

 ner; the respuations became laboured, took place at loivrer 

 and longer intervals, and at the end of five minutes, from 

 the application of the poison, had entirely ceased, and the 

 ammal was apparently dead; but, on opening the thorax, 

 the heart was found acting regularly eighty tunes in a mi- 

 nute, circulating dark-coloured blood, and it continued to 

 act for six or seven ininutcs afterwards. 



Exp. 6. I injected into the rectum of a cat half an ounce 

 of water, with two drops of the essential oil. In two mi- 

 nutes afterwards, he was affected with symptoms similar to 

 those which occurred in the last experiment, and at the 

 end of five minutes, from the injection of the poison, he 

 was apparently dead. Two minutes after apparent death, 

 the heart was fouiid acting eighty times in a minute. On 

 dissection, no preternatural appearances were found either 

 in the internal membrane of the rectum, or the brain. 



The symptoms produced by this poison, and the circum- 

 stance of the heart continuing to contract after apparent 

 death, lead to the conclusion that it occasions death by 

 distinl)ing the functions of the brain. 



While engaged in these last experiinenfs, I dipped the 

 blunt end of a probe into the essential oil, and applied it to 

 iTiy tongue, meaning to taste it, and havirig no suspicion 

 that so sntall a quantity could produce any of its specific 

 effects on the nervous system ; but scarcely had I applied 

 it, when I experienced a very remarkable and unpleasant 

 Sensation, which I referred chiefly to the epigastric ret'ion, 



• The essential oil of bitter almonds does not appear to differ from the 

 Caseiitial oil of liturtl. 1 wa-i funiithed vyith a quantity of it, first- bv my 

 friend Mr. William Jflrande, uud alterwards by Mr. Cuukc of Sotiihaiuptou- 

 ttrcet. 



but 



