DR THOMAS R. FRASER ON STROPHANTHUS HISPIDUS. 359 



respiration finally ceased ; the pupils measured }% x ^ths of an inch ; and the eyeballs 

 were insensitive. 



One min. after death, the exposed heart was found to be motionless ; but when 

 touched, feeble twitches occurred of all the chambers, and continued for about 2 min. 

 The large abdominal veins appeared to be distended ; but the lungs did not exhibit 

 any appearance of congestion. Fifty min. after death, the heart was removed after its 

 vessels had been tied : the auricles and right ventricle contained much blood ; the left 

 ventricle was hard and small, and contained only a little blood ; and blue litmus-paper 

 inserted into a section of the wall of the left ventricle soon became distinctly reddened. 

 Eleven min. after death, strong galvanic stimulus (secondary of Du Bois' coil at 50) of 

 the sciatic nerve was required to cause even faint movements, which were restricted to 

 the toes, and to cause even slight contractions of the gluteal muscles when directly 

 applied to them ; but at 33 min. after death, the strongest galvanic stimulus produced 

 no contraction when directly applied to freshly-exposed thigh muscles, and the muscles 

 were then stiff and hard, and acid in reaction. At 1 1 min. after death, the pupils had 

 contracted to ^x 3 %ths of an inch, but they afterwards gradually dilated, so that at 55 

 min. after death they measured 3 § x £§ths of an inch. After tying the communicating 

 blood-vessels, the kidneys were removed to be hardened in Muller's fluid for microscopic 

 examination. 



These organs, as well as those removed from the rabbit used in the previous experi- 

 ment, were examined for me by Dr Bruce, Pathologist to the Royal Infirmary. His 

 report confirms the opinion I had arrived at, that no evidence of congestion could be 

 obtained by microscopic examination. 



Summary of General Effects in Frogs. — It appears from the above experiments that 

 when a moderately large lethal dose of Strophanthus, whether in the form of an alcohol 

 extract or of the active principle, strophanthin, is given to a frog, the chief effects that 

 follow are : — Manifestations of uneasiness, which may be the only symptoms observable 

 for many minutes. The mouth is soon repeatedly opened, and, occasionally, the fore-feet 

 are rubbed over the muzzle or even thrust into the mouth, and retching or straining- 

 like movements take place. The thoracic extremities become unduly extended, and 

 remain so for a long period, and, occasionally, tbey are also adducted by tonic contraction 

 of the pectoral muscles. The respiratory movements become slow and very irregular, 

 series of movements alternating with pauses of varying duration ; and, by and by, 

 they altogether cease, the respiratory movements of the flanks ceasing before those of 

 the throat. Muscular weakness occurs, and is first distinctly manifested in the thoracic 

 extremities, which fail to support the head and thorax. Spontaneous fibrillary twitches 

 appear, at first at long intervals, and near the part where the subcutaneous injection 

 has been made, and, by and by, unceasingly over the whole body ; but they rarely 

 continue for a long period, and they always remain minute and insufficient to produce 

 spasms. Pallor of the skin supervenes. Jumping is effected with difficulty ; sometimes 

 delay is observed in the flexing of the limbs after a jump ; then, each jump lands the 



VOL. XXXVI. PART II. (NO. 16). 3 K 



