THE PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTION OF TUTU. 



313 



The form and course of the convulsions produced by the first-named substances 

 seem to be the same. Even somersaulting is a symptom common to all. The main 

 differences are in the time of appearance of the convulsions and the duration of the 

 intoxication. Absinthe causes an earlier appearance of convulsions, but after non-lethal 

 doses a shorter intoxication than tutin ; and the same is true of coriamyrtin and, to a 

 less extent, of picrotoxin. The two last-mentioned substances are more powerful than 

 tutin, in that they produce convulsions with smaller doses. This is shown in the 

 following comparative experiments on frogs. The frogs were of the same weight 

 (15 grm.), and the substance, dissolved in 0'6 per cent, sodium chloride, was injected 

 into the dorsal lymph-sac in each case. The figures given indicate the number of 

 minutes between the injection and the onset of the first distinct convulsion. 



Dose. 



Coriamyrtin. 



Picrotoxin. 



Tutin. 



1 mg. 

 - 5 mg. 

 0-08 mg. 

 004 mg. 



1 



3 



10 



40 



7 



19 

 No convulsion. 



15 



38 

 No convulsion. 

 No convulsion. 



The substance I have compared most frequently with tutin is coriamyrtin. This 

 principle was isolated by Riban # from a species of Coriaria (C. myrtifolia) which is 

 common in the South of France and other coasts bordering the Mediterranean. The 

 relative effects of the two substances will be seen in the following brief protocols 

 of experiments on the same animals. One set gives the results of hypodermic 

 and the other of intravenous administration. A period of fourteen days in the first 

 case and five days in the second occurred between the two experiments. 



Rabbit, 2000 grm. 



Time 





Time 





after 



Remarks. 



after 



Remarks. 



Injection. 





Injection. 









- 75 mg. coriamyrtin hypodermicaliy. 







2 mg. tutin hypodermicaliy. 



4' 



Dyspnoea. Head tremors. 



14' 



1 )yspncea. 



5' 



Clinging to table. 



60' 



Had no convulsive symptoms beyond 



9' 



Tonic and clonic convulsion lasting 





head tremors. 





one minute. 



64' 



2 mg. tutin hypodermicaliy. 





No further convulsions occurred. 



651' 



Clonic convulsion. 





The animal rapidly recovered from 



90' 



Slight clonic convulsion. 





the intoxication. 



107' 



Clonic-tonic convulsion. 







108' 



Convulsive movements of head. 







110' 



Opisthotonos. 







125' 



Tonic clonic convulsions. 







135' 



Chloroformed. 



Recherches expe'rimentales sur le principe toxique du redoul, Paris, 1863. 



