452 DR T. R. FRASER ON SOME UNDESCRIBED TETANIC SYMPTOMS 



were insufficient to change its condition, though apparently designed to do so. 

 There were now no respiratory movements whatever, and the heart's action, as 

 ascertained by its impulse, was reduced to twenty-four feeble beats in the 

 minute. In thirty-one minutes, the frog was in a perfectly flaccid condition ; it 

 was obviously unable to perform any voluntary movements, and merely feeble 

 reflex twitches could be excited by strong stimulation. In two hours, reflex 

 movements could still be excited, but the rate of the cardiac contractions had 

 diminished to nineteen per minute. In six hours, however, the nerve-paralysis 

 was more complete ; stimulation did not excite any reflex movement ; and even 

 direct galvanic excitation of an exposed sciatic nerve failed to produce any mus- 

 cular contraction, although the muscles themselves readily contracted when the 

 poles were applied to their surfaces. The colour of the frog's skin was now 

 much darker than before the exhibition of atropia. 



At the earlier portion of the following day — eighteen hours after the adminis- 

 tration of the poison — the frog was in the same state as last noted, except that 

 the heart's action was still more feeble, the contractions being distinctly vermi- 

 cular, and at the rate of only fifteen beats per minute. Twenty-four hours after 

 the administration, however, an extremely faint twitch of the foot could be 

 excited by galvanism of a sciatic nerve ; though a strong current passed through 

 the cord caused no movement beyond that resulting from direct stimulation of 

 several of the muscles of the back, and it was impossible to excite any reflex 

 contraction. 



On the third day — forty-four hours after the administration — the frog was 

 lying in the same flaccid condition. The heart's impulse was extremely feeble, 

 and the beats occurred only ten times in the minute. 



On the fourth day — sixty-eight hours after the administration — a change of 

 position had occurred, for the anterior extremities were flexed, and formed an arch- 

 like prop on which the raised head and thorax were supported. Reflex movements 

 were now more easily excited, though still very sluggish and feeble ; and when 

 such movements occurred the muscles continued in a contracted state for several 

 seconds before they again slowly relaxed. This peculiarity in the contractions 

 was most marked in the muscles of the thorax, anterior extremities, and head. 

 A respiratory movement of the throat occasionally took place ; and the rate of 

 the heart's beats was increased to twelve in the minute. 



On the fifth day — ninety-two hours after the administration — the frog was 

 lying on the side with the anterior extremities strongly flexed, the webs being in 

 close contact with the opposite elbows, while the posterior extremities were 

 normally flexed. At frequent intervals, the contraction of the muscles of the 

 anterior extremities and of the front of the thorax relaxed somewhat, and, 

 apparently taking advantage of the intervals, the frog made slight voluntary 

 movements, which always excited short attacks of emprosthotonic tetanus. These 



