572 DR THOMAS E. ERASER ON THE ANTAGONISM BETWEEN 



Five minutes afterwards, a thirtieth of a grain of sulphate of atropia, dissolved 

 in 10 minims of distilled water, was injected into the exposed facial vein. The 

 previously applied ligatures were then carefully secured, and the incision closed 

 by silk sutures. On the animal being set free, it was observed that movements 

 were performed with difficulty. In seven minutes after the injection of atropia, 

 the animal lay clown on the abdomen and thorax, occasionally mucous sounds 

 were heard with the respirations, and it was observed that the entire surface of 

 the animal was affected with fibrillary twitches. In eight minutes, the pupils were 

 dilated (^§ths x ^ths of an inch), the animal had assumed a normal sitting pos- 

 ture, and mucous sounds no longer accompanied the respirations. Indeed, with 

 the exception of great dilatation of the pupils and fibrillary twitches, the rabbit 

 seemed perfectly well. In seventeen minutes, however, symptoms of paralysis 

 again appeared, and wet faeces were passed; while in twenty-three minutes, the 

 respirations again became accompanied with mucous sounds, and the dilatation 

 of the pupils somewhat diminished. These symptoms continued, without any 

 improvement in the condition of the animal, for twenty-six minutes ; but in 

 forty-six minutes after the injection of atropia, the rabbit raised itself with some 

 difficulty, and went about unsteadily. The pupils now measured ^§ths x ^-Jths 

 of an inch, the respirations were laboured and noisy, and often the rabbit went 

 about in a very excited manner. In one hour and fifteen minutes, a large quan- 

 tity of urine was voided, and pultaceous faeces were passed. It was not until 

 three hours and ten minutes after the injection of atropia that a nearly normal 

 condition was assumed, and at this time no symptoms were present except 

 dilatation of the pupils, and rarely occurring mucous respiratory sounds. Ulti- 

 mately the rabbit recovered perfectly, and it was afterwards subjected to the 

 action of a lethal though smaller dose of physostigma than that from which it 

 had thus recovered. 



Experiment 55-b. — Seven clays after the performance of the last experiment, 

 the rabbit which had been used in it received, by subcutaneous injection, one 

 grain and seven-tenths of extract of physostigma. 



Previously to the performance of the injection, it was ascertained that the 

 weight of the rabbit was four pounds and three ounces ; that the rate, per ten 

 seconds, of the cardiac contractions was 47, and that of the respirations 29 ; 

 and that the pupils measured ^ths x ^ths of an inch. 



After the injection, symptoms of poisoning quickly manifested themselves, 

 and in seven minutes the rabbit was suffering from well-marked general para- 

 lysis, the rate per ten seconds of the cardiac contractions was 39, and that of 

 the respirations 28 ; while the pupils measured |^ths x i^ths of an inch. A short 

 period occurred during which the limbs were extended, and stumbling, excited 

 movements took place, and then the rabbit fell on the abdomen and thorax, 

 the respirations became noisy, wet and soft fseces were passed, and tremors 



