464 ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF CASCA BAEIC. 



cular movements and failure of muscular power. Birds are 

 easily affected by it, a small dose producing violent vomiting 

 and irregular muscular movements with difficult respiration. 

 These symptoms are followed by loss of muscular power and 

 death. 



In cats and dogs it causes restlessness and nausea succeeded 

 by violent and repeated vomiting. The respiration is very 

 much quickened. The first symptom of any affection of the 

 locomotor organs in cats is a peculiar jerk of the hind limbs, 

 as if something were sticking to the feet, and the animal were 

 trying to shake it off while walking ; then the gait becomes- 

 staggering, and the animal ceases to be able to stand. Deatli 

 generally occurs during a convulsion of an emprosthotonic 

 character, apparently connected with an attempt to vomit. 

 Consciousness seems to be preserved to the last. 



The symptoms observed by us thus agree in most respects- 

 with those described by Santos, but we saw no appearance of 

 delirium, nor any alternate contraction and dilatation of the 

 pupil, although we looked for it carefully. 



Analysis of the Symptoms produced hy Casca, 



Vomiting and Fiirging. — It has already been mentioned 

 that while vomiting in those subjected to the ordeal by casca 

 is regarded as a sign of innocence, purging is considered to be 

 a proof of guilt. It is stated that the priests who prepare the 

 infusion are able to produce either effect at will, the clear 

 infusion being given to those whom they wish to prove inno- 

 cent, while the dregs are administered to those who have 

 offended them, or who at any rate have not propitiated them. 

 In order to ascertain whether this was so or not we adminis- 

 tered an infusion without the dregs to one cat, and an infusion 

 with the dregs to another; but tlie result was contrary to 

 what we expected, the one which had got the dregs recoveringv 

 while the other died. This might, however, be due to the fact 

 that the infusion with which we operated was prepared from 

 finely-pounded bark, which would readily yield up its active 

 principle to water, while the infusion is probably prepared by 



