STIMULATES INTESTINAL MUSCULAR FIBRES 513 



like paralysis affecting motor and reflex functions, which, 

 involving the medulla, kills by respiratory arrest (Brunton). 

 According to Eraser, death sometimes results from cardiac 

 paralysis, the heart stopping in diastole. Convulsions 

 occasionally occurring from the use of the bean and com- 

 mercial physostigmine are due to the presence of calabarine. 

 The brain in most animals appears to be irritated, cats 

 and guinea-pigs poisoned exhibiting cerebral excitement, 

 becoming timid, and running wildly about. It is rapidly 

 absorbed and quickly excreted mainly in the urine, bile, 

 and saliva. 



Between physostigmine and its analogues interesting 

 points of contrast are noted. It resembles pilocarpine in 

 its action on the heart, eye, and glandular secretions, but it 

 does not cause such profuse flow from either the salivary, 

 bronchial, skin, or intestinal glands. Again physostigmine 

 has a more marked effect than pilocarpine on striated 

 muscle. Physostigmine, like pilocarpine, probably induces 

 secretion by stimulating the peripheral endings of secretory 

 nerves. Atropine is its physiological antagonist, para- 

 lysing muscles, stimulating the respiratory and cardiac 

 medullary centres, and dilating the pupil. 



Eserine, in virtue of its promptly and effectually stimulat- 

 ing the muscular fibres of the intestines, is of great value 

 in the treatment of obstruction and obstinate constipation. 

 This was first pointed out by Dieckerhoff, and has been 

 demonstrated by F. Smith and C. Rutherford, who made an 

 important series of observations on horses, using physostig- 

 mine freed from the convulsant calabarine : * The earliest 

 indications of the action of the drug are loud intestinal 

 murmurs, passage of flatus, with slight colicky pain ; shortly 

 this is followed by evacuation of the contents of the rectum, 

 and the motions then pass at intervals of a few minutes, 

 each becoming gradually softer, more watery, less formed 

 in balls, until the stage when the evacuations are moist and 

 fluid, exactly representing cows' faeces. All this time the 

 abdominal disturbance has become greater, the animal lies 

 down, but seldom rolls, the intestinal murmurs are louder, 

 the passage of flatus almost continuous, straining marked, 

 fceces are voided with great rapidity, often ejected with force, 



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