190 DRS CRUM BROWN AND FRASER ON THE CONNECTION BETWEEN 



firms this surmise, by showing that the activity of the sulphate is apparently no 

 greater than that of the iodide. 



Experiment CXXXIII. — Ten grains of sulphate of methyl-nicotium, dissolved 

 in ninety minims of distilled water, was injected into the subcutaneous cellular 

 tissue of a rabbit, weighing four pounds and three ounces. In ten minutes, some 

 trembling occurred, accompanied with partial paralysis of the fore-legs. In 

 twenty minutes, the head fell on the table, and, at intervals, series of tremors 

 shook the whole body. It continued in this condition, the body being still sup- 

 ported by the legs, until fifty minutes, when ineffectual attempts were made to 

 raise the head. These attempts were frequently repeated, and were finally 

 successful at one hour and ten minutes ; but the trembling, though now very 

 slight, did not altogether cease until one hour and twenty minutes. After this, 

 the rabbit seemed perfectly well. 



In the absence of any very trustworthy or complete investigation into the 

 mode in which nicotia acts, we cannot ascertain exactly how far its physiological 

 properties are modified by chemical addition. It would appear, however, that 

 the convulsive movements which are described as always occurring during 

 nicotia poisoning, and which were well marked in Experiment CXXXIL, are not 

 among the symptoms produced by either iodide or sulphate of methyl-nicotium. 

 The action of these substances is characterised by paralysis, accompanied with 

 tremors, but unattended with spasms or convulsions. We performed the follow- 

 ing experiments on frogs, in order to determine if this change were due not 

 only to the disappearance of convulsive action, but also to the appearance of 

 a paralysing action on motor nerves, similar to that so prominently possessed by 

 the methyl derivatives of the other alkaloids examined in this paper. 



Experiment CXXX.— The blood-vessels were tied in the left thigh of a frog, 

 weighing 430 grains, and one grain of iodide of methyl-nicotium, dissolved in 

 fifteen minims of distilled water, was then injected into the abdomen. In ten 

 minutes, the anterior extremities had become so weak that they could not alto- 

 gether support the thorax, but still the frog jumped about with considerable 

 activity. In twenty-five minutes, the movements were sluggish, and the jumps 

 were by no means so active as formerly, while some trailing of the posterior 

 extremities was observed. The heart was acting at the rate of forty-two in the 

 minute. In thirty-five minutes, irritation of any portion of the skin was followed 

 by contractions of all the limbs, but these appeared to be rather more energetic 

 in the left posterior (non-poisoned) limb than in the others. In forty minutes, 

 the respirations were feeble, but the frog was sufficiently powerful to turn itself 

 when placed on the back. In fifty-five minutes, severe pinching caused only 

 slight reflex movements, of nearly equal strength, in both posterior extremities. 

 In fifty-seven minutes, it was unable to turn when placed on the back, and the 

 heart's contractions were at the rate of thirty-seven per minute. In one hour and 



