478 DR T. E. FRASER ON SOME UNDESCRIBED TETANIC SYMPTOMS 



nious and elaborate paper by Dr Lemattre, contains ample evidence in support 

 of the proposition. Both experiments were performed on dogs, and in both a 

 solution of sulphate of atropia was injected into a jugular vein. In the first 

 experiment, the dose was one decigramme (= 1*54 grain). In six minutes, para- 

 lytic symptoms occurred, which gradually became well-marked and severe ; and 

 in two hours and forty minutes, " une convulsion reflexe" followed pinching of 

 the skin. This is the only symptom of a spinal-stimulant action that is mentioned, 

 although the details of the experiment are described with great minuteness. 

 This dog recovered* In the second experiment, the dose was five decigrammes 

 ( = 77 grains). In about five minutes, paralytic symptoms were observed; and 

 in about one hour and ten minutes, some spasms occurred. The paralytic symp- 

 toms became very obvious soon after their first appearance, while the spinal- 

 stimulant reached more gradually such an intensity as to cause frequent tetanic 

 convulsions. This dog died six hours after the administration.! 



The second proposition — that the paralysis, compared with the spinal- stimu- 

 lation, is produced in frogs more rapidly than it is in mammals — may likewise 

 be established by an appeal to observation. The experiments described in Table 

 I. show that in frogs complete paralysis (and, therefore, absolute suspension of 

 reflex activity) may be caused by doses of atropia considerably below the 

 minimum fatal. On the other hand, it is well known that in mammals even fatal 

 doses do not completely suspend reflex activity before death. Indeed, it is not to 

 be expected that they should do so, for an amount of paralysis considerably short 

 of complete suspension of reflex activity would undoubtedly cause such an embar- 

 rassment of respiration as to produce death by asphyxia.]; Hence, it is neces- 

 sary to employ artificial respiration, in order to produce complete paralysis of 

 motor nerves with even so powerful a paralysing agent as curara (wourali).§ 

 It has been amply demonstrated in Section C. that large doses of atropia com- 

 pletely suspend the conductivity of motor nerves. || This one method, among seve- 



* " Recherches Experimentales et Cliniques sur les Alcaloi'des de la famille des Solanees." 

 Arcbives Generales de Medicine, 1865, vol. ii. p. 175. 



•f* Op. ait. p. 177- I have in my possession notes of many experiments supporting this 

 proposition, but have preferred to quote evidence obtained from an investigation in which this marked 

 difference between the effects of different doses is not specially alluded to. 



I That this difficulty in causing complete paralysis does not occur with frogs, is due to their 

 endowment with the function of cutaneous respiration. In this animal, reflex activity may be so 

 far impaired by the action of a poison, that pulmonary respiration is rendered impossible, and yet 

 asphyxia may not take place to such an extent as to bring the circulation to a stand-still, and the 

 poison may thus be allowed sufficient time to produce on the living nerve-structures its complete 

 physiological effects. 



§ Vulpian, op. cit. p. 196. 



I This action has already been demonstrated by Botkin, Virchow's Archiv, Bd. 24, 1862, 

 p. 84; by Von Bezold and Bloebaum, Untersucbungen aus dem Physiologischen Laboratorium in 

 Wiirzburg, l tes Heft, 1867, p. 13 ; and by Meuriot, op. cit. p. 90. The last author attempted to 

 prove that it is the result of a local action on the nerves by imbibition, and not of poisoning through 

 the blood ; but his arguments seem insufficient to establish this view. I hope to refer moi'e fully to 

 this objection on some future opportunity. 



