ORFILA, THACKRAH, DAVY, AND PRATER. 971 



vulsions in 20 seconds, when injected into the 

 jugular vein of a dog, and apparent death in 90 

 seconds : that woorara arrested the action of the 

 lungs, and caused apparent death in 25 seconds, 

 when introduced into the jugular vein: that 

 convulsions and death followed the insertion of 

 conia into the femoral vein of a dog in 30 seconds : 

 and that, in another dog, hydrocyanic acid 

 passed from one part of the vascular system back 

 to the same part in from 12 to 20 seconds. 



When the narcotic poisons do not immediately 

 destroy life, they produce small and difficult 

 respiration, coldness of the surface, weak pulse, 

 a pale or livid and ghastly expression of counte- 

 nance, drowsiness, stupor, nausea, and sometimes 

 vomiting ; a dark and dissolved condition of the 

 blood, prostration of strength, convulsions, and 

 nearly all the symptoms which follow the inha- 

 lation of mephitic gases, or an excessive loss of 

 blood. And that they all operate by entering 

 the circulation, is evident from the fact, that they 

 rapidly disappear from a shut cavity, after which 

 they are found in the blood and various secretions. 

 It has also been fully established by the nume- 

 rous experiments of Magendie, Orfila, Thackrah, 

 Dr. John Davy, Prater, and other physiologists, 

 that, when sufficiently concentrated, they greatly 

 diminish the coagulating property of the blood, 

 by dissolving its fibrin, or by disorganizing its 

 red particles, that after death, the lungs, brain, 

 and abdominal organs are found engorged with 



