STROPHANTHUS SARMENTOSUS : ITS PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTION. 359 



impacts could not be felt. General convulsions occurred and the pupils contracted 

 greatly and then rapidly dilated to 10 mm. transversely. One minute later, gasping re- 

 spirations occurred and the animal expired, fine tremors occurring at the time of death 

 in the muscles of the anterior extremities. One minute after death, the pupils had con- 

 tracted to 3 mm. transversely and the conjunctiva had become insensitive. Two minutes 

 after death, fine twitches were present in the neck muscles but not elsewhere, and the 

 rectal temperature was found to be 37° C. Ten minutes after death, a more powerful 

 electrical stimulus was required to cause muscular contraction through the exposed 

 sciatic nerve than on direct stimulation of the thigh muscles. Eighteen minutes after 

 death, the heart was exposed ; it was motionless, the left ventricle was small, pale and 

 hard, the other three chambers were dark and dilated, and the right auricle alone re- 

 sponded to local electrical stimulation. Sections of the ventricular and thigh muscles 

 were found to be distinctly acid to litmus paper. 



Experiment XXXVII. — 0'00462 gram of extract dissolved in Kinger's solution 

 was injected subcutaneously into the left flank of a doe rabbit whose weight was 1540 

 grams ( = - 003 gram per kilogram, and equivalent to twice the minimum-lethal dose). 

 The solution of extract had been kept at a temperature of 100° C. for 30 minutes, and 

 then allowed to cool before being injected. 



Before the injection, the respirations were 18 per 10 seconds and regular; the 

 cardiac impacts were 35 per 10 seconds, regular but not easily felt; the conjunctival 

 reflex was acute ; and the rabbit's attitude was normal. One hour 30 minutes after the 

 injection, the respirations were 18 per 10 seconds, regular and panting, the cardiac 

 impacts were 36 per 10 seconds and irregular in time and force ; the conjunctival reflex 

 was acute, urine and fasces had been passed ; and the ears were erect, but the head drooped 

 slightly and moved with respiration. Two hours and 10 minutes after the injection, the 

 respirations were 25 per 10 seconds and regular: the cardiac impacts were 48 per 

 10 seconds and feeble ; the conjunctival reflex was acute ; and occasionally the anterior 

 extremitiesyielded and glided forwards. Two hours 12 minutes after the injection, violent 

 convulsions occurred, some being opisthotonic in character ; the conjunctival reflex was 

 absent and the pupils were dilated ; and after a brief pause more convulsions succeeded ; 

 and expiration became forced and noisy, and no cardiac impact could be felt. Two hours 

 14 minutes after the injection, the rabbit was dead and the pupils had contracted to 1 mm. 

 Four minutes after death, the thorax was opened. The thoracic muscles twitched strongly 

 while being divided. When the sternum was removed and placed on the tray, the 

 muscles attached to it continued to twitch violently for a short time. The exposed 

 heart was found to be contracting very feebly and superficially — quite insufficiently to 

 maintain the circulation. Eleven minutes after death, the cardiac contractions were 

 25 per 10 seconds, very feeble and superficial, the ventricular movement being larger 

 than the auricular, but the organ was not engorged, nor was the left ventricle contracted. 

 Sixteen minutes after death, the heart was twitching feebly, and peristalsis was active in 

 the stomach and intestines. Seventeen minutes after death, the auricles alone continued 



