PHYSOSTIGMINE 307 



respiration was 24, and the temperature normal. There was slight sweating. The 

 pulse soon fell to 60, and was strong and hard, while the respiration became rapid 

 and labored. No other symptoms developing within twenty-five minutes after the 

 first dose, three grains of the alkaloid were administered in the same manner as 

 before. The pulse became more frequent (78), the respiration (48) was difficult, 

 and the muscular tremors increased in violence till they resembled convulsions. 

 Sweating was profuse, while saliva dropped freely from the mouth. The respira- 

 tion and pulse were now reduced in frequency and became weaker. The pupils 

 were unaffected, but the eyes were staring. Half an hour after the second dose 

 increased peristaltic action was evidenced by loud noises and the expulsion of 

 gas and dung. Recovery began in two hours from the exhibition of the second 

 dose. It is possible that the severe muscular tremors were caused by contamina- 

 tion of the eserine with calabarine, as the former was not a fresh preparation. 

 An aged express horse, suffering for a week from impaction of the colon, was 

 . given twelve minims of a commercial extract of calabar bean. He fell down 

 almost immediately, perspired freely, exhibited muscular tremors, and expired 

 within a few minutes. The writer is unable to state the minimum fatal dose for 

 horses, but eserine should be used with caution in weak subjects. — Winslow. 



A gelding, 800 lbs., poorly nourished, temperature normal, pulse 60, was 

 given physostigmine sulphate gr. 1% (0.1) in % dram of water intra jugularly. 

 Muscular tremors and colic came on in seven minutes; in eleven minutes defeca- 

 tion occurred, the heart became more rapid and colic increased. Passages from 

 the bowels were frequent for two hours — about fifteen in all — the feces weighing 

 twenty pounds in the aggregate. All symptoms abated after three hours from 

 the time of receiving the drug. — Muir.* 



A gelding, thirteen years old, in good condition and weighing 1,205 lbs., tem- 

 perature and pulse normal, was given 3 grains (0.18) of eserine sulphate under 

 the skin. After thirty-two minutes elapsed, defecation began and continued with 

 the expulsion of considerable mucus and flatus until six passages had occurred 

 within one hour and twenty minutes. During this time the pulse had increased 

 in frequency and the animal was restless and pawing the ground. An hour and 

 a half after the first dose, a second dose of 3 grains (0.18) was given in the same 

 way. In twenty minutes muscular tremors and weakness became marked, for 

 the first time, and great distress was evident, the patient appearing to be in much 

 pain; the respiration short, jerky and labored, and nostrils distended and work- 

 ing. The evacuations continued until twenty-three had been passed from the 

 time of receiving the first dose and until one and one-half hours after the second 

 dose. The feces were quite liquid and contained much mucus and during passage 

 were attended with considerable straining. The weight of feces aggregated 17 

 lbs. Four hours after the last dose all symptoms disappeared. — Muir.* 



Summary. — Full medicinal doses of physostigniine (gr. lV2"3)3 given 

 subcutaneously or intravenously^ produce slight 'to considerable colic, in- 

 creased peristalsis and mucus secretion, muscular tremors and weakness, 

 and frequent defecation — beginning in ten to twelve minutes after intra- 

 venous use, about thirty minutes or more after injection under the skin — 

 and being twice as copious when the former mode of administration is 

 employed than after the latter. Moreover, the disagreeable accompani- 

 ments of purging last twice as long (five hours) after the hypodermic 

 -method than after the intravenous injection (two and a half hours). 

 Muir deduces from his experiments that physostigmine is a safe and 

 active cathartic for the horse and is free from' evil after-effects; that 

 along with increased peristalsis and mucous evacuation from the bowels 

 there are colic and more rapid pulse-rate with muscular tremors and 

 ^weakness; that eserine acts more quickly and effectively when injected 



•Jour, of Comp. Med. and Vet. Archives, Jan. and Feb., 1899. 



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