CHEMICAL CONSTITUTION AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION. 



187 



No. of 



Substance 



Animal and its 



Method of 



Dose. 



Effect. 



Experiment. 



employed. 



weight. 



exhibition. 







01. 



Iodide of methyl- 

 morphium. 



Rabbit, 2 lbs. 14oz. 



Subcutaneously. 



20 grs. (contain- 

 ing 13'3grs. of 

 dry morphia). 



No effect. 



cv. 



Morphia. 



Do. (same rabbit 



Subcutaneously. 



8 grs. (contain- 



Sleep in 1 hour and 4 







as in Experiment 





ing 7'5 grs. of 



minutes, epileptic con- 







CI.) 





dry morphia). 



vulsions in about 48 

 hours, and death some 

 hours afterwards. 



CVL 



Iodide of methyl- 

 morphium. 



Do., 3 lbs. 12 oz. 



By stomach. 



30 grs. (contain- 

 ing 20 grs. of 

 dry morphia). 



No effect. 



CVII. 



Morphia. 



Do. (same rabbit 



By stomach. 



5 grs. (contain- 



Sleep in 1 hour and 6 







as in Experiment 





ing 4 - 7 grs. of 



minutes, and catalepsy 







CVL) 





dry morphia). 



in 1 hour and 25 minutes ; 

 these symptoms lasted for 

 nearly 3 hours and 30 

 minutes, and were fol- 

 lowed by recovery. 



CXII. 



Sulphate of me- 



Do., 3 lbs. 1 oz. 



Subcutaneously. 



8 grs (contain- 



Sleep and partial paralysis 





thyl-morphium. 







ing 6'6 grs. of 

 dry morphia). 



in 14 minutes, continu- 

 ing for more than 2 

 hours and 16 minutes, 

 and followed by recovery. 



CXIII. 



Sulphate of me- 



Do., 3 lbs. 8 oz. 



Subcutaneously. 



10 grs. (contain- 



Paralysis in 8 minutes, and 





thy-morphium. 







ing 8 - 2 grs. of 

 dry morphia). 



doubtful sleepiness in 10 

 minutes; the paralysis 

 became gradually more 

 complete, and terminated 

 in death, at 1 hour and 2 

 minutes after the admini- 

 stration of the poison. 



CXXI. 



Sulphate of me- 

 thyl-morphium. 



Do., 4 lbs. 3ioz. 



By stomach. 



20 grs. (contain- 

 ing 16"4 grs. of 

 dry morphia"). 



No effect. 



NICOTIA. 



The last substance in which we have now to describe the modifications pro- 

 duced by chemical addition is nicotia. This is a liquid alkaloid of great poisonous 

 energy, derived from tobacco. It is a di-acid nitrile base, and has the formula 

 (C 10 H 14 N 2 ). 



Iodide of methyl-nicotium. — Von Planta and Kekule* investigated the action 

 of iodide of ethyl on nicotia, and described a number of the ethyl-nicotium salts. 

 The compounds of methyl-nicotium were investigated and described by Stahl- 

 scHMiDT.t When excess of iodide of methyl is added to nicotia, a considerable 

 amount of heat is developed, and it is advisable to immerse the flask in which 

 the mixture is made in cold water, in order to moderate the action ; by this 

 means the product (iodide of methyl-nicotium (C 10 H 14 N 2 (CH 3 I) 2 ) is obtained 

 nearly colourless, and crystallises almost as soon as it is cold. The crystalline 



* Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie, vol. lxxxvii. p. 1 (1853). 

 f Ibid. vol. xc. p. 222 (1854). 



VOL. XXV. PART I. 



3b 



