PHYSOSTIGMINE 393 



developing within 25 minutes after the first dose, three 

 grains of the alkaloid were administered in the same manner 

 as before. The pulse became more frequent (78), the respi- 

 ration (48) was difficult, and the muscular tremors increased 

 in violence till they resembled convulsions. Sweating was 

 profuse, while saliva dropped freely f lom the mouth. The 

 respiration and pulse were now reduced in frequency and 

 became weaker. The pupils were unaffected, but the eyes 

 were staring. One-half hour after the second dose, increased 

 peristaltic action wag evidenced by loud noises and the 

 expulsion of gas and dung. Recovery began in two hours 

 from the exhibition of the second dose. It is possible that 

 the severe muscular tremors were caused by contamination 

 of the eserine with calabarine, as the former was not 

 a fresh preparation. An aged express horse, suffering 

 for a week from impaction of the colon, was given twelve 

 miuims of a commercial extract of calabar bean. He 

 fell down almost immediately, perspired freely, exhibited 

 muscular tremors, and expired within a few minutes. The 

 writer is unable to state the minimum fatal dose for 

 horses, but eserine should be used with caution in weak 

 subjects. 



The minimum fatal dose is stated to be from g^-iV'xV 

 for dogs, and gr.^-^ for cats. The treatment should be 

 pursued with emetics, or the stomach pump, and the anti- 

 dote, atropine. The latter will prevent death in rabbits 

 when given ^ye minutes after the administration of three 

 times a minimum fatal dose. Atropine should be given 

 under the skin, together with alcoholic stimulants, digitalis, 

 and ammonia by the mouth. Artificial respiration should 

 be practised and external heat applied. The essential action 

 of atropine in antagonizing eserine, consists in stimulation 

 of the respiratory centres, while it depresses the peripheral 

 cardiac vagi, and. so, to a certain extent, counteracts the 

 primary influence of eserine on the heart. Large doses of 

 atropine may only exaggerate the secondary depression of 

 eserihe upon the peripheral vagi in the heart, and so hasten 



