STRENGTHS OF ALKALOIDS 149 



which, when mixed with the jelly, produces maximum 

 excitation. Treble this amount, and death will gener- 

 ally occur without excitation, although leucocytes will 

 stand even ten times the dose- of codeine and bruceine 

 without dying. 



To produce maximum excitation in twenty minutes: 



Alkaloid. Amount of 1-per-cent solution of it 



contained in 10 cc. of jelly. 



Bruceine 1 cc. 



Morphine 0.2 " 



Pilocarpine Nitrate 0.5 " 



Cocaine Hydrochloride .... 2 " 



Strychnine 1 " 



Atrophine Sulphate 0.7 " 



Aconitine 0.5 " 



Codeine . . 3 " 



Atropine is undoubtedly the most active of the 

 vegetable alkaloids; but, as will be shown later 

 choline (figs. 34, 35), and cadaverine (fig. 36), two 

 of the animal alkaloids produced by putrefaction, are 

 nearly as effective. The action of morphine in exciting 

 exaggerated movements is very poor (fig. 37), but still 

 it does have this effect. The dose may be doubled 

 with cocaine, and the excited movements continue. 

 Strychnine is not so effective an excitor for leucocytes 

 as atropine. Codeine acts more effectively than 

 aconitine. Pyridine is fairly effective (fig. 28). 



The excitation of leucocytes by alkaloids is a very 

 remarkable thing, for it seems to be a functionless 

 procedure on the part of the cells. The alkaloids do 

 not appear to cause the cells to migrate at all; they 

 remain in their original position, and merely extrude 



