88 On the Seeds of the Cerbcra Thevetia* 



At thirty-eight minutes past five o'clock, in the afternoon of 

 the same day, I gave a dog of similar size twenty-eight grains 

 of the seeds of C. Thevetia, with an ounce and a half of dis- 

 tilled water. One minute after having swallowed this poison, 

 the animal had the hiccough with vertigo. He attempted to 

 walk but was unable to stand. At forty-six minutes past five r 

 he vomited a viscous matter ; he appeared nearly insensible, 

 and his breathing was very slow. At five minutes before six 

 o'clock, all his members were completely paralyzed ; he groan- 

 ed mournfully, and lay entirely motionless. The pupil of the 

 eye was much dilated, and insensible to light ; respiration was 

 extremely laborious, the extremities cold, and the pulse feeble 

 and trembling. At six o'clock he died. 



Appearances on Dissection. 



All the blood-vessels leading to the brain over-distended 

 with blood. 



The arachnoid membrane very much injected. 



Some water at the basis of the brain. 



The auricles and ventricles distended with clots of black 

 1>lood. 



The stomach much contracted ; its blood-vessels slightly in- 

 jected ; the mucous membrane towards the great arch, and the 

 pilorus, of a dark red colour. 



The mucous membrane of the duodenum much inflamed, 

 and containing a mucous fluid, of a spongy yellow colour. 



From this dissection, it may be concluded that the animal 

 had suffered a violent gastro-enteritis, which brought on death 

 more rapidly, by making a strong impression on the nervous 

 system. 



This poison then belongs to the class of acrid-nervous ; and 

 I am induced to believe that the peculiarly active poisonous 

 principle is prussic acid. 



