CHEMICAL CONSTITUTION AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION. 



711 



actions. They, however, retain the dilating action of atropia on the pupil, and 

 the paralysing action on the cardiac inhibitory branches of the vagi, and on the 

 spinal motor nerves. 



This last action, though resembling that of atropia in character, differs greatly 

 from it in degree. While in atropia, this action has only a secondary prominence, 

 and, in the presence of other and more potent paralysing actions, only a sub- 

 sidiary influence in causing paralysis and death ; in the methyl and ethyl deriva- 

 tives, it assumes the prominence of the sole paralysis-producing action, and the 

 primary cause of the poisonous activity of these substances. 



As it is shown by our experiments that the poisonous activity of the methyl 

 and ethyl derivatives is much greater than that of the salts of atropia, it is 

 apparent that the paralysing action of the former on the motor nerve terminations 

 must be very much greater than that of the latter. 



In the following Table, we summarise the chief details of a few of our experi- 

 ments, so as clearly to exhibit the difference of poisonous activity. 



No. of 

 Experi- 

 ment. 



Substance 

 Employed. 



Animal and its 

 Weight. 



Dose, by subcuta- 

 neous administra- 

 tion. 



Relation 

 of Dose to 

 Weight of 



Animal. 



Effect. 



I. 



Iodide of methyl- 

 atropium. 



Dog, 8 lbs. 6 oz. 



10 grs. (containing 

 6'6 grs. of atro- 

 pia). 



1 rl 



Decided paralysis in 10 minutes, 

 accompanied with very faint 

 twitchings ; and death in 32 

 minutes. 



XXII, 



Sulphate of atro 

 pia. 



Dog (same dog 

 as in Expt, I.) 



10 grs. (containing 

 848 grs. of atro- 

 pia). 





Diuresis in 12 minutes; partial 

 paralysis in 13 minutes ; 

 spasms in 38 minutes ; de- 

 cided paralysis in 48 minutes ; 

 tetanic convulsions in 52 

 minutes, and until 3 hours 

 and 18 minutes ; and followed 

 by recovery. 



VIII. 



Iodide of methyl- 

 atropium. 



Rabbit, 3 lbs. 

 10 oz. 



3 grs. (containing 

 2 grs. of atropia). 



^iFj-th. 



Decided paralysis in 15 minutes; 

 and death in 58 minutes. 



XXIII. 



Sulphate of atro- 

 pia. 



Do., 2 lbs. 5 oz. 



15 grs. (containing 

 13-12 grs. of 

 atropia). 



r.Vuth. 



Diuresis, catharsis, and langour ; 

 followed by recovery in more 

 than 3 hours and less than 9. 



XXXIV. 



Sulphate of me- 

 thyl atropium. 



Do., 3 lbs. 0J oz-. 



2 '5 grs. (contain- 

 ing 2 - 05 grs. of 

 atropia). 



' tli 



Slight paralysis and feeble 

 twitches in 3 minutes; decided 

 paralysis in 4 minutes; and 

 death in 6 minutes. 



XL. 



Do. 



Frog, 4G0 grs. 



O'lgr. (containing 

 008 gr. of atro- 

 pia). 



TB-VtS"!. 



Decided paralysis in 2 minutes; 

 complete paralysis in 9 min- 

 utes ; and death on the 7th day. 



XXIV. 



Sulphate of atro- 

 pia. 



Do., 490 grs. 



- 5 gr. (containing 

 0'42 gr. of atro- 

 pia). 



^itftn. 



Incomplete paralysis 1st and 2d 

 days ; complete paralysis 3d 

 day ; tetanus 3d to 5th days ; 

 and recovery 7th day. 



XLVIII. 



Iodide of ethyl- 

 atropium. 



Rabbit, 3 lbs. 7 oz. 



2 grs. (containing 

 1'27 gr. of atro- 

 pia). 



I2jTTff''h. 



Slight paralysis and tremors in 

 6 minutes ; decided paralysis 

 in 16 minutes ; and death in 

 24 minutes. 



