30O ACTION OF VESETIBLE ?'0I60NS. 



Experiments with the Essential Oil of Bitter Almonds*, 



F-fFects of (,i{ Experiment 5. One drop 6f the essential oil of bitter 



«i0U(is. ' almonds was applied to the tongue of a young cat. She was 

 HEperiment 5. instantly seized with violent convulsions; then lay on one 

 side motionless, insensible, breathing in a hurried manner ; 

 the respirations became laboured, took place at longer and 

 longer intervals, and at the. end of five rairtutes, from the 

 application of the pois-Oii, had entirely ceased, and the ani- 

 mal was apparently dead ; but, on opening the thorax, the 

 heart was found acting regularly eighty times in a minute, 

 circulating dark coloured blood, and it continued to act for 

 six or seven minutes afterward. 

 E:5c?ejimem 6. Exp. 6. I injected into the rectum of a cat half an 

 ounce of water, with two drops of the essential oil. In two 

 minutes afterward, he was affected with symptoms similar 

 to those, which occurred in the last experiment ; and at the 

 end of five minutes, from the injection of the poison, he was 

 apparently dead. Two minutes after apparent -death, the 

 heart was found acting eighty times in a minute. On dis- 

 section, no preternatural appearances were found either in 

 the internal mernbra^ie of the rectam,' or the brain. 

 Appeawtoact The symptoms produced by this poison, and the circum- 

 oaiheb/ain. gfa^ce of the heart continuing to contract after apparent 

 death, lead to the conclusiou, that it occasions death by 

 disturbing the functions of the brain. 

 Effects of a While engaged in these last experiments, I dipped the 



t() !:V ^ author's ^^""*^ *^"<^^ o^ ^ probe into the essential oil, and applied it to 

 5i>ns;ue. my tongue, meaning to taste it ; and having no suspicion, 



that so small a quantity could produce any of its specific 

 effects on the nervous system ; but scarcely had I applied it, 

 when 1 experienced a very remarkable and unpleasant sen- 

 satimi, which I referred chiefly to the epigastric region, but 

 the exact nature of which 1 cannot describe, because I 

 know nothing precisely similar to it. At the same time 

 there was a sense of weakness in my limbs, as rf 1 had not 



' * The essential oil of bitter almonds dees not appear to differ from the 

 essential oil of laurel. 1 was furni?iied with a quantify of it, first by nry 

 friend Mr. William Brande, and afterward by Mr, Copke of Soulhamp- 

 \q;\ street. 



the 



