188 DRS CRUM BROWN AND FRASER ON THE CONNECTION BETWEEN 



powder is washed with a little cold alcohol, and crystallised from hot rectified 

 spirit. Thus obtained, it forms tolerably large prismatic crystals, perfectly trans- 

 parent and colourless, and free from the peculiar odour of nicotia. It is ex- 

 tremely soluble in water, so that for our purpose it was scarcely necessary to 

 prepare the sulphate. More for the sake of symmetry, however, than because 

 we expected to find any difference in action, we did so. 



A dose of five grains of iodide of methyl-nicotium, exhibited by subcutaneous 

 injection, produced no effect on a rabbit. Ten grains caused trembling and slight 

 impairment of motility ; and the same symptoms occurred, in a somewhat 

 exaggerated form, after the administration of fifteen grains : but recovery took 

 place after both doses. The subcutaneous injection of twenty grains was fol- 

 lowed, after several hours, by death. In the following account of the experiments 

 in which fifteen and twenty grains were exhibited, it will be seen that no convul- 

 sive movements occurred during the progress of the symptoms. 



Experiment CXXVIL— We injected fifteen grains of iodide of methyl-nicotium, 

 dissolved in ninety minims of distilled water, into the subcutaneous cellular 

 tissue of a rabbit, weighing three pounds. In eleven minutes, some trembling 

 occurred, which, however, did not continue long; but it recurred in twenty- 

 three minutes. In thirty minutes, it was observed that the head was supported 

 with great difficulty, and shortly after it fell on the table, and the rabbit assumed 

 a crouching attitude. There was no trembling so long as it was not disturbed; 

 but whenever this was done, and when attempts were spontaneously made to 

 assume some different position, the trembling recommenced. It continued in 

 this condition for about an hour ; soon afterwards the head was raised, and the 

 trembling ceased. The rabbit was jumping about in a perfectly normal state 

 two hours and three minutes after the administration. 



Experiment CXXVIII. — We injected twenty grains of iodide of methyl- 

 nicotium, dissolved in ninety minims of distilled water, into the subcutaneous 

 cellular tissue of a rabbit, weighing about three pounds. In eight minutes, some 

 trembling of the fore-legs was observed, which, however, soon ceased, and the 

 rabbit sat down and remained quiet. In twenty minutes, the head fell upon the 

 table, the neck muscle being apparently unable to support it ; and in twenty-eight 

 minutes, the paralysis had so far extended to the body that the rabbit, being 

 unable to maintain even a crouching attitude, fell on the side. In one hour, it 

 was in the flaccid condition of the last note, but the respiratory movements were 

 few and feeble. In two hours and ten minutes, the respirations consisted of 

 occasional gasps merely, and death appeared imminent. The observationswere 

 unfortunately now (4 p.m.) interrupted until the following morning, when 

 (10-15 a.m.) the rabbit was dead, and in rigor mortis. 



In accordance with the plan followed in this investigation, we shall now 



