334 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol, VIII 
Hooker adds a very imporant note in the description of this plant 
(Vide “ Flora of British India,” Vol. IV, p. 90), which is as follows :— 
“ Bentham also reduces to the present species Sérychnos ligustrina 
(Blume, Rumphius I, 68, ¢. 25), which does not differ by any 
tangible character, but has smaller somewhat different-looking leaves.” 
PorIsonous PROPERTIES. 
Nux-Vomica is so well-known for its poisonous properties that it is 
hardly necessary to do more in these pages than state them briefly. 
Strychnia, the chief active principle of this plant, is one of the most 
powerful poisons acting on the nervous and muscular systems. It 
causes tetanus—that is to say, tonic contractions of all voluntary 
muscles. These contractions are generally sudden and last from a few 
seconds to many minutes. They follow each other in rapid succession. 
In severe forms there is hardly any intermission. The whole body in 
such cases becomes “rigid, immoveable, and hard as a board” 
(Schmiedeberg). 
The convulsions excited by this alkaloid originate in the spinal cord 
probably by acting directly upon the motor-cells. The reflex irrita- 
bility of the spinal cord, of the medulla oblongata, and of the brain 
is excessively increased. This causes tetanus. When the brain and 
medulla oblongata are in this state, the spasms get excited by the 
slightest, often imperceptible, stimuli, which may meet the eye, the ear, 
and particularly the organs of touch, so that they apparently come on 
without a cause (Schmiedeberg). 
Strychnia has been found in blood. It has a marked effect on 
circulation. The blood pressure rises; there is arterial tension 
during the appearance of the convulsions; the frequency of 
the pulse becomes simultaneously slowed. This Mayer believes to 
be due to vaso-motor spasm from increased irritability of the origins 
of the vascular nerves and the cardiac inhibitory fibres of the vagus. 
It must be remembered that the mind is perfectly clear in strychnia- 
poisoning. Strychnia isa cumulative poison. It also diminishes the 
process of oxidation in blood—that is to say, the amount of oxygen ab- 
sorbed and of carbonic acid given out by blood are diminished (Harley). 
Brucia is another alkaloid found in Nux-Vomica, but in smaller 
quantity than strychnia. It possesses properties similar to strychnia, 
but as a poison brucia is less active than strychnia. 
