STROPHANTHUS SARMENTOSUS : ITS PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTION. 361 



impact could be felt ; and death occurred, and on its occurrence muscular twitches 

 took place at the shoulders. Three minutes after death, the exposed heart was found 

 to be motionless, the left ventricle being small, the right ventricle large and dark ; 

 the left auricle small and of a bright red colour, and the right auricle large and dark. 

 In response to mechanical stimulation of the ventricles, all the heart's chambers gave 

 several feeble twitches. A section of the ventricular muscle was found to be acid to 

 litmus paper, as also were sections of the thigh muscles. There were active vermicular 

 movements of the intestines. 



Intravenous Injection. — Rabbits. 



The following experiment illustrates the effects produced in rabbits when the extract 

 is injected into a vein. 



Experiment XLIV. — 0'0059 gram of extract was injected into the marginal vein 

 of the left ear of a doe rabbit whose weight was 2950 grams ( = 0'002 gram per 

 kilogram, equivalent to f of the intravenous minimum-lethal dose). Before the 

 injection, the respirations were 23 per 10 seconds, and the cardiac impacts were 28 per 

 10 seconds, the conjunctival reflex was acute, and the transverse diameter of the left 

 pupil was 6 ram. One minute after the injection, coarse chewing movements of the jaws 

 occurred and the rabbit was very restless. Two minutes after the injection, the head 

 was protruded forwards and inspiration consisted of a prolonged sucking movement of 

 the mouth, during which the cheeks were indrawn and the thorax apparently did not 

 expand. Three minutes after the injection, no cardiac impact could be felt. Four minutes 

 after the injection, general convulsions occurred, the pupils became dilated and in- 

 sensitive, the mouth opened widely and air was inspired with a loud sucking noise, and 

 death occurred. Two minutes after death, the eyes became pallid and the pupils contracted 

 rapidly, so that at 4 minutes after death, they were contracted to pin-point size. Five 

 minutes after death, the heart was exposed ; it was motionless and did not respond to 

 mechanical stimulation. All the chambers were of moderate size, but the left ventricle 

 was smaller than the right ; the right side of the heart contained dark-coloured fluid 

 blood and the left side bright red fluid blood ; and there was no evidence of air 

 embolism. Thirteen minutes after death, the cut surface of the left ventricle was 

 distinctly acid to litmus paper. 



Summary of General Effects in Frogs. 



From the foregoing experiments on frogs, it appears that the subcutaneous injection 

 of a moderately large lethal dose of the extract (sufficient to cause death within four 

 hours) produces the following effects both in Rana temporaria and in R. esculenta : — 

 Soon after the injection, the thoracic extremities are abnormally extended and in most 

 cases adducted ; the frog's head is held very high, and reflex movements may be per- 

 formed more actively. The respiratory movements are usually slowed, and they become 

 irregular ; the flank respirations are more distinctly affected than those of the throat ; 



