90 Messrs. T. L. Brunton and J. Fayrer on the F Jan. 22, 



dead in rather less than a minute from the injection. The thorax was 

 then opened. The lungs were somewhat congested. The heart was 

 quite still in tetanic contraction. A strong interrupted current applied 

 to it caused no contraction of any of the fibres. The muscles lost their 

 irritability very quickly ; the intercostals of both sides, and the serratus 

 and subscapularis of the right side, seemed to lose their irritability befor 

 the other muscles. 



When the poison is more slowly absorbed, so that a less quantity of it 

 circulates in the blood, its action on the muscles is much less marked, 

 as is evident from a comparison of the irritability of those in the poisoned 

 and non-poisoned limbs in Experiments XXXVII., XXXVIH., XXXIX., 

 XL VII, If the poison has undergone such changes as render it less 

 active, it has no action, or only a feeble one, on the muscles, as seen in 

 Experiments XI., XXX., XXXI., & XXXII,, where poison, which had 

 undergone partial coagulation, was employed, 



Experiment XXX. 



January 1.4th. In order to test the local action of the poison on the 

 muscles and nerves, a ligature was tied round the base of a frog's heart 

 so as entirely to arrest the circulation. 



12.0. About a drop of cobra-poison was injected into one leg. 



1.30. Laid bare the lumbar nerves in the abdomen, and irritated them 

 by an induced current. Both legs contracted nearly equally. 



Experiment XXXI. 



January 14th. At 12.15. One or two drops of cobra-poison were in- 

 jected into the leg of a frog. The wound bled freely. Immediately after 

 the injection the frog became very excited and jumped about very much, 



12.20, Frog quiet. Respiration quick. 



2,30. Prog quiet, but jumps when irritated. It seems to use both legs 

 equally well. 



January ~L5th. The frog is not dead, but is feeble. On killing and 

 opening it, both legs contracted nearly equally when the lumbar nerves 

 were stimulated by an induced current. 



Experiment XXXII. 



January 15th. Tied the heart of a frog, and, 12.55 P.M., injected into the 

 right leg a drop of water, and into the left leg a drop or two of cobra- 

 poison. 



1.55. Irritated the back of the frog by an induced current. Both legs 

 contracted nearly equally, 



Experiment XXXIII. 



May 9th. A frog (Rana temporaria) was poisoned with curare. After 

 complete paralysis had set in, the right leg was ligatured, with the ex- 

 ception of the sciatic nerve. The animal was then poisoned by the in- 



