Chap. rx. ALKALOID POISONS. 203 



completely re-expanded, but tlie glands were much discoloured. 

 Hence this salt is not poisonous in any high degree. The 

 different action of the three foregoing salts of quinine is sin- 

 gular. 



Digitaline. — Half-minims of a solution of one part to 437 of 

 water were placed on the discs of five leaves. In 3 hrs. 45 m. 

 some of them had their tentacles, and one had its blade, 

 moderately inflected. After 8 hrs. three of them were well in- 

 flected ; the fourth had only a few tentacles inflected, and the 

 fifth (an old leaf) was not at all affected. They remained in 

 nearly the sam.e state for two days, but the glands on their discs 

 became pale. On the third day the leaves appeared much 

 injured. Nevertheless, when bits of meat were placed on two 

 of them, the outer tentacles became inflected. A minute drop 

 (about yV ^f ^ minim) of the solution was applied to three 

 glands, and after 6 hrs. all three • tentacles were inflected, but 

 next day had nearly re-expanded ; so that this very small dose 

 of g^^oo of a grain (-00225 mg.) acts oil a tentacle, but is not 

 poisonous. It appears from these several facts that digitaline 

 causes inflection, and poisons the glands which absorb a 

 moderately large amount. 



Nicotine. — The secretion round several glands was touched 

 with a minute drop of the pure fluid, and the glands were 

 instantly blackened; the tentacles becoming inflected in a few 

 minutes. Two leaves were immersed in a weak solution of two 

 drops to 1 oz., or 437 grains, of water. When examined 

 after 3 hrs. 20 m., only twenty-one tentacles on one leaf were 

 closely inflected, and six on the other slightly so ; but all the 

 glands were blackened, or very dark-coloured, with the pro- 

 toplasm in all the cells of all the tentacles much aggregated 

 and dark-coloured. The leaves were not' quite killed, for on 

 being placed in a little solution of carbonate of ammonia 

 (2 grs. to 1 oz.) a few more tentacles became inflected, the 

 remainder not being acted on during the next 24 hrs. 



Half-minims of a stronger solution (two drops to i oz. of 

 water) were placed on the discs of six leaves, and in 30 m. all 

 those tentacles became inflected ; the glands of which had 

 actually touched the solution, as shown by their blackness ; 

 but hardly any motor influence was transmitted to the outer 

 tentacles. After 22 hrs. most of the glands on the discs ap- 

 peared dead ; but this could not have been the case, as when 

 bits of meat were placed on three of them, some few of the 

 outer tentacles were inflected in 24 hrs. Hence nicotine has a 

 great tendency to blacken the glands and to induce aggregation 



