108 VETEEINAEY TOXICOLOGY 



condition of the organ, the absorption being more rapid 

 from an empty than from a full stomach. Free strychnine 

 is but slightly soluble in water, the salts, especially those 

 of the organic acids, such as the tartrate and acetate, being 

 more freely dissolved. The absorption from the rumen is, 

 as might be expected, not considerable, and no doubt the 

 alkalinity of the contents of that organ is partly responsible 

 for this. The precipitation of strychnine by alkalis makes 

 it very inadvisable to prescribe with them, e.g., with liq. 

 arsenicalis, etc. The last dose may contain an excess of 

 subsided strychnine, and prove poisonous. The period 

 between dosage and the onset of symptoms is often a 

 question of great medico-legal significance. Manifestly, 

 it cannot be precisely answered, and it rarely happens 

 that one has the opportunity of observing the point. 

 It will depend on the nature of the dose — k.g., as to 

 whether given as solid, as a salt, or in solution ; on the 

 quantity administered ; on the state of the digestive organs ; 

 and on the individuality and species of the subject. Doses 

 given hypodermically may be expected to act within ten 

 minutes, and from one-half to two hours might reasonably 

 be stated as the interval in the case of the administration 

 of solid strychnine in lethal doses by the mouth to the 

 dog. 



By whatever channel absorbed, strychnine is quickly 

 transported by the blood to the central nervous system and 

 organs. 



Strychnine is not eliminated very rapidly. It passes into 

 the saliva and urine, but the elimination is not complete 

 even in three days. It thus results that the drug in 

 therapeutic quantities exercises an apparently cumulative 

 effect, so that the administration of the tenth dose may kill, 

 whereas the first had scarcely any appreciable effect. For 

 this reason — viz., that at least three days are required for 

 elimination — it follows that the idea of an increased sus- 

 ceptibility to strychnine is fallacious. The effect is that of 

 a fresh dose plus the fractional residues of previous 

 doses. 



