ACTION ON TEGETABLE POISONS. 327 



Experiments xzith the Upas Antiar *. 



Exp.^l. About two grains of this poison were Biadc Upas antiar. 

 into a thin paste with water, and inserted into a wound in^'M^^"ment21. 

 the thigh of a dog. Twelve minutes afterward he became 

 languid; at the end of fifteen minutes, the heart was found 

 to beat very irregularly, and with frequeat intermissions ; 

 after this, he had a slight rigour. At the end of twenty 

 minutes, the heart beat very feebly and iiregularly ; he 

 was languid; was sick and vomited; but the respirations 

 were as frequent and as full as under natural circumstances, 

 and he was perfectly sensible. At the end of twenty mi- 

 nutes, he suddenly fell on one side, and was apparently 

 dead. I immediately opened into the thorax, and found 

 the heart distended with blood in a very remarkable de- 

 gree, and to have entirely ceased contracting. There was 

 one distinct and full inspiration, after I had begun makiog 

 the incision into the thorax. The cavities of the left side 

 of the heart contained scarlet blood, and those of the 

 Tight side contained dark coloured blood, as in a living 

 animal. 



Exp. 22. A small quantity of the upas antiar, prepared Experiment 32. 

 as before, was inserted into a wound in the thigh of a 

 young cat. She appeared languid in two minutes after the 

 poison was inserted. The symptoms, which took place, 

 did not essentially differ from those, which occurred in the 

 last experiments, except that there were some convulsive 

 motions of the limbs. At eight minutes after the poison 

 ■was inserted, she lay on one side, motionless and insensible; 

 the heart could not be felt, but the respiration had not en- 

 tirely ceased. On opening into the thorax, I found the 

 heart to have ceased contracting. It was much distended 

 ■with blood : and the blood in the cavities of the left side 

 ■was of a scarlet colour. There were two full inspirations 

 after the incision of the thorax was begun. Oa irritating 



* We are informed, that the island of Java produces two power- 

 ful vegetable poisons, to one of which the natives give the name 

 of upas tieute, and to the other that of upas antiar. I was sup- 

 plied with a quantity of the latter through the kindness of Mr. 

 Marsden, who had some of it in his possession. 



the 



