Is Ammonia an Antidote? 35 



would persist so far. For strychnine can have no 

 effect on the action of the poison. This is not to deter 

 others from using the remedy, but simply as a record 

 of my own thoughts and experience on this subject. 



Is Ammonia an Antidote ? 



No ! It was never published as such by me. But 

 we may look to the physiological effect of injecting 

 it into the veins. 



Almost instantaneously the heart increases its con- 

 tractions, more especially as regards its power ; at the 

 same time, the voluntary muscles are thrown into 

 rapid contractions, so much so, if the dose be large, 

 that they become for a short space tetanic. The 

 circulation is necessarily increased, and the livid lips 

 resume their wonted colour. Frequently, consciousness 

 is restored. With all this muscular action going on, 

 there must be a great yielding up of carbonic acid 

 to the blood, and its subsequent removal from the 

 pulmonary capillaries. 



This is all undeniably true, and in many cases the 

 results have been satisfactory, and in many others 

 there have been failures. I am forced now to say, 

 that the application of this restorative has not had 

 the success I formerly hoped for it. The operation of 

 injecting solely into a vein, and not into the surround- 

 ing tissues, is an extremely delicate one for ordinary 

 medical practitioners. This, unfortunately, has been 

 proved ; but it should no longer be so. Here, then, 

 is another instance of failure where success was 

 expected. 



