60 EFFECTS OF 



EXPERIMENTS WITH THE UPAS ANTIAR.* 

 EXPERIMENT XXI. 



About two grains of this poison were made 

 into a thin paste with water, and inserted into a 

 wound in the thigh of a dog. Twelve minutes 

 afterwards he became languid ; at the end of 15 

 minutes, the heart was found to beat very irre- 

 gularly, and with frequent intermissions ; after 

 which, he had a slight rigor. At the end of 

 20 minutes the heart beat very feebly and 

 irregularly ; the dog was languid, sick, and 

 vomited; but the respirations were as frequent 

 and as full as under natural circumstances, and 

 he was perfectly sensible. At the end of 20 

 minutes he suddenly fell on one side, and was ap- 

 parently dead. I immediately opened the thorax, 

 and found the heart distended with blood in a 

 very remarkable degree, and to have entirely 

 ceased contracting. There was one distinct and 

 full inspiration after I had begun making the 

 incision into the thorax. The cavities of the left 

 side of the heart contained scarlet blood, and 

 those of the right side contained dark- coloured 

 blood, as in a living animal. 



* We are informed that the island of Java produces two 

 powerful vegetable poisons, to one of which the natives give 

 the name of Upas tieute, and to the other that of Upas 

 antiar. I was supplied with a quantity of the latter through 

 the kindness of Mr. Marsden, who had some of it in his 

 possession. 



