558 DR THOMAS R. FRASER ON THE ANTAGONISM BETWEEN 



observed. In eight minutes a series of tremors occurred, which were frequently 

 repeated until the animal, in nine minutes, sank down on the abdomen and 

 chest. At this time, the rate of the heart's contractions was only 19 in ten 

 seconds, and the respirations were considerably diminished in frequency, and 

 somewhat laboured, obstruction being apparently caused by mucus accumulated 

 in the mouth and throat. Very soon afterwards the embarrassment of the 

 respiratory movements became greater, to such an extent that each respiration 

 was accompanied by energetic struggling movements of the whole body ; and 

 in eleven minutes they assumed a gasping character. In eleven minutes and 

 thirty seconds the head was drawn back, and a few slight tremors occurred, 

 after which the rabbit was dead. 



The first appearance of rigor, consisting of slight stiffness of the posterior 

 extremities, occurred twenty-four minutes after death (temperature of laboratory, 

 58° R). 



I shall now describe, but with less minuteness, three other experiments, 

 where the administration of atropia was preceded by the administration of a 

 lethal dose of extract of physostigma, and where the interval of time sepa- 

 rating the administration of the two substances was greater than in the last 

 experiment. 



Experiment 47-a. — Two grains of extract of physostigma, previously sus- 

 pended in 20 minims of distilled water, was injected under the skin at the right 

 flank of a rabbit weighing three pounds and eleven ounces and a half. In eight 

 minutes, the rabbit was lying on the abdomen and chest, saliva was escaping 

 abundantly from the mouth, the pupils were somewhat contracted, the respira- 

 tions were noisy and laboured, and moist faeces were being copiously passed. 



At eight minutes and thirty seconds, half a grain of sulphate of atropia, dis- 

 solved in 15 minims of distilled water, was injected under the skin at the left 

 flank. In four minutes afterwards the pupils were dilated and the flow of 

 saliva and passage of faeces had ceased. In six minutes vigorous efforts were 

 made to rise ; but these were not successful until fifteen minutes. In about 

 one hour and twenty minutes, the rabbit was nearly well, though a slight degree 

 of paralysis was still present. In one hour and forty minutes, every obvious 

 symptom had disappeared, except dilatation of the pupils and fibrillary twitches 

 of the muscles. 



Experiment 47-b. — Four days afterwards, this rabbit, while in a perfectly 

 normal condition, received, by subcutaneous injection, one grain and a half of 

 extract of physostigma, suspended in 15 minims of distilled water. Tremors, 

 paralysis, and great increase of the salivary and bronchial mucus secretions, 

 were quickly produced ; moist faeces were, by-and-by, evacuated in large quan- 

 tity ; the pupils became contracted ; and death occurred fifteen minutes and 

 thirty seconds after the administration. 



