294 PROFESSOR C. R. MARSHALL ON 



To a rabbit weighing 700 grm. a dose of tutin corresponding to 00002 grm. per kg. 

 body-weight was given without any effect beyond a slight one on the pulse, respiration, 

 and temperature. The pulse fell from 228, the rate before the injection, to 192 thirty 

 minutes after the injection ; the respiration rose from 54 to 60 ; the temperature fell 

 in the hour succeeding the administration from 39 "0° C. to 38 '2° C. 



Three days afterwards a dose corresponding to 0"0003 grm. per kg. body -weight was 

 given to the same rabbit. The heart-beats fell from 276 to 180 forty minutes after 

 the injection, and the temperature from 39 "3° to 37*6° one hour after the administra- 

 tion. The frequency of the respirations rose from 60 to 120 in thirty minutes. 



On Guinea-pigs. — Similar symptoms to those described as occurring in rabbits 

 occurred in guinea-pigs. These animals appear, however, to be more susceptible than 

 rabbits to tutin, as the following experiment shows :— 



Experiment IV. — - 001 grm. Tutin per kg. Guinea-pig. Weight, 458 grm. 



Time. 



Observations. 



12.35 - 46 c.c. 1 in 1000 tutin solution injected under skin of abdomen. 



1.14 Commenced to jerk head. After this ceased, animal began to move about carefully, the 

 feet appearing to cling to bench. 



1.28 Coarse tremors of head, which extended to whole body. 



1.32J Convulsion commencing in fore part of body. The animal then rolled over several times, 

 and finally stood up on toes and remained almost in a tonic spasm. The convulsion 

 lasted 90". Afterwards the animal moved about carefully and somewhat stiffly. 



1.45 Convulsion similar to previous one; lasted one minute. 



1.48 Clonic movements; these caused the animal to run about the bench. They were followed 



by tonic contraction of the head muscles — eyes closed, ears drawn back, etc. — and by 

 further clonic movements of limbs. On taking up the animal it entered into a tonic 

 convulsion which lasted about a minute, and then the animal died — there was sudden 

 and complete relaxation of the muscles, but the heart beat slowly for nearly a minute. 



Frogs. — In frogs also the most prominent symptoms are tonic and clonic 

 convulsions. After a short period, during which the animal is apparently normal, it 

 appears to be depressed and weaker, and gradually sinks down on the bench. The 

 respiratory movements are usually deeper. If a large dose has been given, repeated 

 opisthotonic convulsions, sometimes accompanied by a cry apparently resulting from 

 spasm of the laryngeal muscles, follow. The convulsions may come on suddenly or 

 may commence in retraction of the head, or, more rarely, in spasm of the hind legs. 

 In the intervals, if these are short, the animal lies exhausted, but if of long duration it 

 may move inco-ordinately and assume bizarre positions. Usually exhaustion supervenes 

 and the animal appears dead. 



After smaller doses the convulsions tend towards a clonic type, although with 

 freshly caught frogs, transient opisthotonos, more rarely emprosthotonos, is common 

 even with small doses. In frogs kept in confinement for some time, the convulsions 

 develop in a more definite manner- — the eyes are closed, the head retracted, then the 

 fore limbs and lastly the whole body (opisthotonos) are affected. 



