﻿414 
  Transactions. 
  — 
  Botany, 
  

  

  may 
  expect 
  to 
  fiucT 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  excitement 
  and 
  the 
  torpidity 
  to 
  bo 
  tlic 
  only 
  

   marked 
  symptoms." 
  And 
  fm-tlier 
  he 
  adds: 
  — 
  "Of 
  the 
  medicinal 
  uses 
  of 
  

   Pituri 
  little 
  at 
  present 
  can 
  be 
  said. 
  I 
  have 
  given 
  it 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  of 
  

   extreme 
  debility, 
  but 
  in 
  doses 
  much 
  too 
  small 
  to 
  enable 
  me 
  to 
  speak 
  of 
  its 
  

   value. 
  I 
  would 
  expect 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  tonic 
  nervine, 
  that 
  could 
  be 
  used 
  along 
  

   with 
  alcohol." 
  

  

  My 
  experiments 
  with 
  Pituri 
  were 
  made 
  with 
  the 
  leaves 
  themselves, 
  with 
  

   the 
  infusion, 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  extract 
  of 
  the 
  leaves, 
  and 
  were 
  performed, 
  upon 
  

   domestic 
  animals 
  and 
  myself. 
  The 
  results 
  were 
  somewhat 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  

   of 
  the 
  gentlemen 
  herein 
  referred 
  to 
  ; 
  but 
  as 
  I 
  had 
  not 
  a 
  sufficiency 
  of 
  the 
  

   Pituri 
  for 
  a 
  very 
  extensive 
  series 
  of 
  experiments, 
  I 
  used 
  up 
  what 
  I 
  had, 
  and 
  

   am 
  waiting 
  for 
  a 
  further 
  supply 
  before 
  continuing 
  others. 
  The 
  results 
  I 
  

   have 
  at 
  present 
  arrived 
  at 
  are 
  : 
  When 
  the 
  leaves 
  are 
  chewed 
  by 
  a 
  man 
  

   unaccustomed 
  to 
  its 
  use, 
  it 
  excites 
  increased 
  flow 
  of 
  saliva 
  ; 
  a 
  slight 
  dilation 
  

   of 
  the 
  pupil 
  ; 
  the 
  heart's 
  action 
  is 
  accelerated, 
  the 
  beats 
  being 
  increased 
  in 
  

   number 
  by 
  from 
  five 
  to 
  eight 
  in 
  the 
  minute 
  ; 
  a 
  pain 
  in 
  the 
  hind 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   head 
  is 
  felt 
  ; 
  the 
  respirations 
  are 
  reduced 
  in 
  volume 
  ; 
  there 
  is 
  slight 
  nausea. 
  

  

  These 
  symptoms 
  pass 
  off 
  after 
  a 
  short 
  time. 
  Then 
  is 
  felt 
  increased 
  

   muscular 
  irritability 
  ; 
  a 
  feeling 
  of 
  greater 
  power 
  ; 
  an 
  inclination 
  exists 
  to 
  

   move 
  the 
  muscles 
  in 
  some 
  vigorous 
  manner 
  ; 
  the 
  heart 
  beats 
  stronger 
  ; 
  the 
  

   diaphragm 
  acts 
  more 
  forcibly 
  ; 
  respiration 
  is 
  performed 
  slower 
  ; 
  muscular 
  

   exertion 
  is 
  more 
  easily 
  done, 
  and 
  greater 
  exertion 
  can 
  be 
  made 
  without 
  

   fatigue 
  ; 
  a 
  desire 
  for 
  muscular 
  movement 
  continues 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  time 
  ; 
  partial 
  

   anassthesia 
  of 
  the 
  skin 
  is 
  felt 
  for 
  some 
  hours 
  ; 
  sense 
  of 
  touch 
  is 
  lessened 
  ; 
  

   no 
  feeling 
  of 
  hunger 
  or 
  thirst 
  is 
  felt, 
  if 
  food 
  or 
  drink 
  is 
  not 
  taken 
  for 
  twenty- 
  

   four 
  hours 
  ; 
  the 
  excretions 
  are 
  decreased 
  in 
  quantity, 
  and 
  chemical 
  con- 
  

   stituents 
  altered 
  ; 
  there 
  is 
  less 
  carbonic 
  acid 
  in 
  the 
  air 
  expired 
  than 
  normal. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  extract 
  or 
  infusion 
  is 
  given 
  to 
  animals 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  enters 
  their 
  

   system 
  by 
  the 
  digestive 
  organs, 
  much 
  the 
  same 
  train 
  of 
  symptoms 
  is 
  

   observed; 
  but 
  if 
  it 
  is 
  injected 
  subcutaneously, 
  then 
  the 
  symptoms 
  more 
  

   nearly 
  approach 
  those 
  described 
  from 
  the 
  observations 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Bancroft. 
  

  

  From 
  such 
  experiments 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  hitherto 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  make, 
  I 
  have 
  

   no 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  active 
  principles 
  of 
  the 
  Pituri, 
  acting 
  as 
  it 
  does 
  upon 
  the 
  

   great 
  nerve 
  centres 
  and 
  ganglions, 
  and 
  also 
  on 
  the 
  muscles, 
  increasing 
  the 
  

   irritabihty 
  of 
  their 
  muscular 
  fibre 
  elements, 
  and 
  while 
  it 
  is 
  acting 
  upon 
  the 
  

   nerves 
  and 
  muscles, 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  cells 
  is 
  retarded, 
  and 
  thus 
  tissue 
  change 
  

   is 
  modified 
  and 
  lessened, 
  the 
  individual 
  Under 
  its 
  influence 
  being 
  thus 
  able 
  

   to 
  undergo 
  exertion 
  without 
  food, 
  which 
  without 
  it, 
  he 
  could 
  not 
  sustain. 
  

  

  It 
  is, 
  therefore, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  few 
  active 
  agents 
  that 
  hereafter 
  will 
  bo 
  of 
  

   considerable 
  service 
  to 
  the 
  physician 
  and 
  others, 
  that 
  when 
  properly 
  given 
  

   or 
  used, 
  will 
  prolong 
  and 
  preserve 
  life, 
  by 
  carrying 
  on 
  the 
  organic 
  functions 
  

  

  