Medical properties of the PassiflorcE. 129 



ieaves of which are one fourth the size of that just mention* 

 ed. This is preferred on account of the smallness of its seeds, 

 and is not so common in the island as the other. 



Experiments upon the root of the P. quadrangular is. 



Six oz. of boiling water were poured on 4 oz. of the fresh 

 root cut into small pieces, and suffered to remain twenty-four 

 hours. The color of the infusion was dark reddish, with a 

 strong herbaceous odor, of an acrid styptic taste ; upon hold- 

 ing some of it in the mouth for a minute, it became of a thick 

 and mucilaginous consistence, leaving an unpleasant taste. 



I. Being in the habit of making use oi small lizards, the 

 Anolis bullaris, Daudin, as tests of the venomous qualities of 

 plants, I took three of these animals, and gave to each a large 

 dose of this infusion. In five minutes they all exhibited con- 

 vulsive motions, having their mouths open, as if breathing with 

 difficulty. Their posterior extremities were paralyzed, and 

 they died in the space of fifteen minutes. I repeated this 

 experiment on several other lizards, with the same result. 

 The symptom which most struck me was the extreme difficulty 

 these animals experienced in breathing during the operation 

 of the poison. 



II. I tried a very small dose on lizards of the same kind. 

 They became stupid for the space of three quarters of an 

 hour, and then recovered, as if they had taken nothing inju- 

 rious ; after frequent experiments on these lizards, and always 

 varying the doses, I discovered that a certain quantity ren- 

 dered them cataleptic. The little animals would quietly 

 remain in the attitude in which they had been placed, until 

 (the poison ceasing to operate on the nervous system,) they 

 would take to flight. I then tried the following amusing ex- 

 periment : stretching a silk thread on two small sticks placed 

 perpendicularly on the table, and having four lizards, I gave 

 to each a dose at intervals of five minutes. I then suspended 

 each to the silk thread by one of its toe nails- They all re- 



17 



