ACTION OF CONDURANGO ON MAMMALS. 343 



in the jngiilar vein of a rabbit weighing 1,030 grammes (2 lb. 

 4 oz.), and 1^ cub. cent, of the solution were injected into it. 

 No apparent effect was produced. 



Fifteen minutes afterwards 1 cub. cent, more was injected ; 

 tlnee minutes after the second injection the respiration was 

 much quicker ; and five minutes afterwards 1 cub. cent, more 

 was injected. 



One minute after the last injection the animal's hind legs 

 spread out laterally, and it sank down on its fore paws. 



In lialf a minute more it turned on its side, its head became 

 drawn backwards on its shoulders so as to form almost a right 

 angle with the body, and it gave one or two convulsive kicks. 

 Its eyes then became very prominent and the cornea insensible 

 to the touch. 



Post-mortem Exa7nination. — The body was immediately 

 opened. When the abdominal muscles were divided the legs 

 gave a twitch. The heart was still found pulsating, though 

 only feebly. The right cavities were full, but the left cavities 

 were empty 



In this experiment the injection of about one-third of a 

 gramme (5 grs.) of the extract into the jugular vein was fol- 

 lowed by death, whereas in Experiment VIII the injection of 

 three times this dose into the peritoneal cavity of a smaller 

 rabbit produced no effect. As drugs are generally absorbed 

 with great rapidity from the peritoneal cavity the difference 

 between the results of the two experiments could hardly be due 

 to non- absorption of the Condurango in Experiment YIII, and 

 it was therefore in all probability due to something not con- 

 nected with the action of the drug. 



The hurried breathing, convulsions, and death which followed 

 the injection of the unfiltered solution of the extract into the 

 jugular vein, as well as the distension of the cavities on the 

 right side of the heart and the emptiness of those on its left, 

 seemed to indicate that the death of the rabbit in Experi- 

 ment IX was due to the production of emboli in the pulmonary 

 artery by the undissolved particles of extract. 



In order to test this conclusion the follow^ing experiment was 

 made : — 



