is produced by certain vegeialle Poisons, 173 



otherwise there is no difference in its effects, in whatever 

 manner it is applied. 



Experiments with the Juice of the Leaves of Jconite. 

 Exp. 18. I made a wound in the side of a young rabbit, 

 and introduced, between the skin and muscles, about twenty 

 drops of the juice of aconite. Twenty- three nnnutes after- 

 wards he was affected with symptoms in all essential re- 

 spects similar to those which occurred in an experiment 

 already related, where the juice was injected into the rectum, 

 and at the end of forty seven minutes from the application 

 of the poison he was apparently dead. Two nunutes after 

 apparent death, the heart was found contracting, but very 

 feebly. 



Experiments with the JVoorara*. 

 Exp. 19. A small quantity of the woorara in powder was 

 applied to a wound in the side of a Guinea pig. Ten mi- 

 nutes afterwards the animal was unable to walk ; then he 

 became quite motionless, except some slight occasional 

 convulsions. He gradually became insensible; the respira- 

 tions were laboured, and at the end of fourteen minutes 

 from the application of the poison the respiration had en- 

 tirely ceased, and he was apparently dead ; but on opening 

 the thorax, the heart was found acting seventy times in a 

 minute, circulating dark -coloured blood, and it continued 

 to contract for several minutes afterwards. On dissection 

 no preternatural appearances were observed in the brain, 

 nor was there any other appearance in the limb than would 

 have arisen from an ordinary wound. 



Exp. 20. I made a wound in the side of a Guinea pig, 

 and introduced into it about two grains of the woorara ui 

 powder. At the end of twenty-five minute^, symptoms 

 took place very similar to those which occurred in the last 

 experiment, and in thirteen minutes more the animal was 

 apparently dead ; but the heart continued to contract one 

 hundred and eight times in a minute, and by means of arti- 

 ficial respiration the circulation was kept up for more than 

 twenty minutes. 



The results of other experiments which I have niade with 

 the, woorara were similar to those just described. The heart 

 continued to act after apparent death, and the circulation 



• The Woorara is a poison with which the Indians of Guiana arm (he 

 points of th( ir arrows. It appears not to diircr essentiall v from the Ticunas, 

 which was employed in the experiments of the Abbe F.mtana. I am in- 

 debted to IDr. h. N Bancroft, wlio not only fnn.ishcd me wiili sume of the 

 woorara wliich he had in his posscs'Jon, but also Icul me his aisistance in the 

 experiments which were made wiih it. 



mieht 



