73 



The Antiar, like most other poisons, acts from the intestinal canal, 

 and from wounds ; but it must be remarked, that it is much more ener- 

 getic and rapid when introduced into a wound. The symptoms which 

 are observed in frogs, in the latter case, are the following : First of 

 all, the voluntary movements become less energetic, and at length 

 cease totally, 30 to 40 minutes after the introduction of the poison 

 (after 21 m min. and l h 21 m max.). Then follows a time in which 

 reflex movements may be caused by stimulating the skin ; but this 

 faculty also is lost very soon, viz. at from 50 to 60 minutes (at 33 m 

 min. and 85 m max.) ; and the animals die without the slightest 

 trace of convulsions or tetanic spasm. If now the frogs are opened, 

 we find that, without any exception, the heart has ceased to beat. 

 The auricles are dilated, the ventricle corrugated, rather small, and 

 generally red, as if blood had been extravasated into its muscular 

 parietes ; but very soon the exposure of the heart to the air causes 

 the ventricle to shrink a little more, and to become pale and stiff, as 

 if in the state of rigor mortis. All interior organs, especially the 

 lungs, liver, stomach, intestine, and kidneys, are gorged with blood, 

 and in a state of great, especially venous, hypersemia. The blood 

 is fluid and rather dark, but soon coagulates when exposed to the 

 air, and assumes a brighter colour. The lymphatic hearts cease to 

 beat as soon as the reflex movements are lost. At the same time 

 the nerves are yet found excitable, but their power is very low, and 

 generally vanishes in the second hour after the application of the 

 poison. The same must be said of the muscles, which contract 

 very feebly when directly stimulated by galvanism, and in most 

 cases lose their power totally in the second or third hour, and gene- 

 rally a little after their nerves. The rigor mortis begins early, 

 sometimes in the sixth hour, and is generally well established at 

 the eighteenth hour. 



Amongst all these symptoms, to which we may add some signs of 

 vomiting occurring now and then, there was none which attracted 

 my attention more than the cessation of the movements of the heart, 

 considering the great energy which this organ possesses in frogs ; 

 and I tried, therefore, before all, to elucidate the action of the 

 Antiar upon the heart. For this purpose I instituted a new 

 series of experiments, in which I exposed the heart by the section 

 of the sternum, before the poison was introduced into a wound of 



