CROTINE. 205 



CROTINE. 



A third toxine closely allied to ricine is found in the seeds of 

 Croton tiglinm, an East Indian plant belonging to the Euphor- 

 biacece, from which croton oil, the most powerful purgative known 

 to us, is extracted. 



STILLMARK (loc. cit.) was the first to prepare the toxic principle 

 of these seeds, using methods analogous to those employed in the 

 preparation of ricine. 



A fuller investigation of crotine was made by ELFSTRAND/ He 

 decorticated in the presence of alcohol and ether, and extracted 

 them with water, a 10 per cent, solution of sodium chloride or 

 glycerin, precipitated the active constituent by means of alcohol 

 or ammonium sulphate, and purified it by dialysis. 



It presents many analogies with the other toxines. In solu- 

 tion it is destroyed at 70 C., while the dry seeds are rendered 

 non-poisonous at 110 C. Pepsin-hydrochloric acid is said to 

 destroy it. 



Toxic Effects of Crotine. The lethal dose for frogs was found 

 by ELFSTRAND to be about 0'23 grm. per kilo. The symptoms 

 preceding the death of the animals were progressive paralysis and 

 decrease in the reflex excitability and of the faradic excitability, Jv. 

 affecting first the brain, then the spinal cord and nerves, and - 

 finally the muscles. Here again hypersemia and ecchymoses of ^ 

 the intestinal membrane were also observed. Crotine has only 

 a slight influence upon the heart, and the end -plates of the 

 motor and sensory nerves are not affected. 



Pike are killed by a dose of 0*04 to 0-1 grm. per kilo., the main 

 symptoms being dyspnoea and paralysis. 



In the case of warm-blooded animals (rabbits, dogs, cats, rats, 

 hens, <fec.), local inflammation and necroses are also produced by 

 crotine, although only to a slight extent. It is far less poisonous 

 than ricine or abrine (lethal dose, about 0'05 to 0-1 grm. per 

 kilo.), and is also much less active when introduced per os. 



The general symptoms are very similar to those produced by 

 ricine, viz., convulsions, lowering of the pressure of the blood, 

 diminution of temperature, respiratory paralysis, &c. A slight 

 effect upon the eye can also be detected. 



The appearance on post-mortem dissection is also very similar. 



Action upon the Blood. ELFSTRAND found that crotine also 

 had an agglutinating action upon the blood of oxen, sheep, pigs, 

 pike, and frogs, and a very much smaller effect upon that of cats, 



1 Elfstrand, " Ueber blutkorperchenagglutinierende Eiweisse," Gtirbers- 

 dorfer Veroffentlichungen, edited by R. Robert, Stuttgart, 1898, 1. 



