130 Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 



hours, an hour later distinct signs of recovery were noticeable, and 

 soon after this the dog was able to eat, food having remained beside 

 it throughout. Two hours later the animal was to all intents and 

 purposes quite well again. 



Another very energetic poison, probably a glucoside, was found 

 in an unidentified bulb said to have caused the death of a native 

 woman at Tsolo. The symptoms in the case of dogs and mice 

 to some extent resembled those produced by Acocanthera ; the mice 

 dying in 10 to 40 minutes, the stomach and intestines becoming 

 greatly distended, and inflamed in parts, the heart contracted, the left 

 ventricle bloodless, and the lungs gorged with blood : the most 

 characteristic appearance seemed to be that of the liver, which 

 is much softened and becomes greatly congested. The active 

 principle was obtained from the bulb by evaporating an aqueous 

 solution of an acidulated alcoholic extract, rendering the residue 

 alkaline and dissolving out with ether. The substance thus obtained 

 was characterised by the following properties : — 



Taste Bitter. 



Solubility Soluble in water (especially if acidu- 

 lated), also in alcohol, less soluble 

 in chloroform and ether. 



Concentrated sulphuric acid Cherry-red ; changing to lake and 



then to light pink. 



Sulphuric acid with potassium di- Yellowish-brown, changing first to 

 chromate green and then to blue. 



Sulphuric acid with bromine Yellowish-brown, changing first to 



green and then to blue. 



Nitric acid Nil. 



Platinum chloride Nil. 



Gold chloride Nil. 



Molybdic acid Nil. 



Vitali's test Nil. 



Sonnenschein's reagent White precipitate. 



Scheibler's reagent White precipitate. 



Lead acetate Precipitate. 



Tannin Precipitate. 



In another poisoning case strips of bark and stem were submitted, 

 portions of which had caused the death of a native at Nqamakwe. 

 Here, as in the case last quoted, no leaves or flowers were received, 

 and, owing to this omission, the plant could not be identified, which 

 was most regrettable, as the chemical and physiological tests were 

 very pronounced. The active principle was evidently a non- 

 crystallisable glucoside, acting on the heart and arresting its action, 

 generally in systole, but apparently also in diastole. The following 



