324 . ACTION OF VEGETABLE POISONS.' 



The frame of a The foregoing facts and observations demonstrate, that 

 menflsthfseat*^^ pulses excited in the aiu^ by a vibrating cord do not 

 oi* sound. make any sensible impression on the organs of hearing; 



on the contrary, the sound, which we attribute to a musical 

 string, comes in reality from the frame, upon which it is 

 stretched. This errour of judgment arises from the proxi- 

 * mity of the cord and frame, which prevents the ear from 



determining whether of the two is the sonorous body ; we 

 therefore ascribe the sound to the part that sustains the im- 

 pulse. It is true, indeed, that the notes of a harpsichord 

 or violin are caused by the vibrations of the strings ; but 

 then the various modifications, incident to these rapid 

 and delicate motions, are imparted to the ear through the 

 medium of the less elastic frame ; the momentary sounds of 

 which change their character when acted upon by a quick 

 succession of impulses, and become continuous. 

 Middleshawy Dec, Q, 1811. JOHN GOUGII. 



Poisons ap' 

 plied to 

 wounds. 



II. 



Experiments and Observations on the different Modes in 

 which Death is produced by certain vegetable Poisons ; 

 By B. C. Brodie, Esq. F. R.S. Communicated by the 

 Society for promoting the Knowledge of Animal Che- 

 mistry. 



(Concluded from p. 307.) 



III. Experiments with Poisons applied to wounded Surfaces. 

 Experiments with the essential Oil of Almonds. 



S;ssential oil of ^^P- ^^' ■"■ MADE an incision in the thigh of a rabbit, and 

 almonds. introduced two drops of essential oil between the skin and 



•spemnen .^j^^ muscles. In four minutes after the application, he was 

 seized with violent convulsions, and became insensible, and 

 in two minutes more he was apparently dead ; but the heart 

 was felt through the ribs acting one hundred and twenty 

 times in a minute, and it continued acting for several mi- 

 nutes. There were no other appearances in the limb, than 

 would have resulted from an ordinary wound. 



Exp. 17. Two drops of the essential oil of almonds were 

 introduced into a wound in the side of a mouse. Two mi- 

 nutes afterward he was afFected with symptoms similar to 



thos» 



i^xpcrimentlZ. 



