44 EFFECTS OF 



EXPERIMENTS WITH THE ESSENTIAL OIL OP BITTER 

 ALMONDS. 



EXPERIMENT V. 



One drop of the essential oil of bitter almonds 

 was applied to the tongue of a young cat. She 

 was instantly seized with violent convulsions; 

 then lay on one side motionless, insensible, breath- 

 ing in a hurried manner ; the respiration became 

 laborious, took place at longer and longer in- 

 tervals, and at the end of five minutes, from the 

 application of the poison, had entirely ceased, so 

 that the animal was apparently dead; but, on 

 opening the thorax, the heart was found acting 

 regularly 80 times in a minute, circulating dark- 

 coloured blood, and it continued to act for six 

 or seven minutes afterwards. 



EXPEEIMENT VI. 



I injected into the rectum of a cat half an 

 ounce of water, with two drops of the essential 

 oil. In two minutes afterwards, he was affected 

 with symptoms similar to those which occurred 

 in the last experiment, and at the end of five 

 minutes, from the injection of the poison, he was 



* The essential oil of bitter almonds does not appear to 

 differ from the essential oil of laurel. I was furnished with 

 a quantity of it, first by my friend Mr. William Brande, and 

 afterwards by Mr. Cooke, of Southampton Street. 



