STROPHANTHUS SARMENTOSUS : ITS PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTION. 375 



12.59. Coarse spontaneous fibrillary twitches were occurring in B. These began at irregular intervals. 



1 p.m. After stimulation at 100 mm. and contraction of the muscles, the lever of B fell lower and 



very coarse fibrillary twitches occurred, jerking it up again. When it had returned to its 

 former level, the fibrillary twitches disappeared. 



2 p.m. Spontaneous fibrillary twitches were present in B. They were much fainter than before. 



After stimulation at 100 mm. (fig. 4) and contraction, about twenty very coarse fibrillary 



twitches occurred in B, jerking the lever upwards. 

 2.18. There were no visible fibrillary twitches in B. 

 2.20. There were no fibrillary twitches before or after stimulation. 

 2.25. The lever of B has returned to its original abscissa (fig. 5). 

 2.35. No fibrillary twitches before or after stimulation. 



3.25. Do. (fig. 6). 



10 a.m. next day. Secondary coil at zero. A contracts better than B. 



Experiment LI. — Effect on the muscles of Rana temporavia of S. sarmentosus 

 extract in Ringer's solution (l in 10,000) (Plate III.). Before poisoning, normal curves 

 were taken with the secondary coil at 120 mm., as at 12.2 p.m. (fig. 1). Muscle A 

 is the control and muscle B the poisoned muscle. 



2 c.c. of solution of S. sarmentosus extract (1 in 10,000) substituted for the Ringer's 



solution of muscle B. 

 Up to this time, no fibrillary twitches were seen. The observations were interrupted until 



2 p.m. 

 The lever of muscle B has been raised, and fine spontaneous fibrillary twitches were present 



in the muscle. 

 Before stimulation of muscle B, no fibrillary twitches were visible, but after contraction and 



relaxation of the muscle the lever was lower than before contraction (fig. 3), and very 



coarse fibrillary twitches appeared, jerking the lever upwards to its former position. 

 Fibrillary twitches Avere still present in B, but were very feeble. 

 After stimulation of the muscle B, the fibrillary twitches became very coarse. 

 Coarse fibrillary twitches were occurring in B. 

 Stimulation with secondary coil at 120 mm. On relaxation the lever of B was lower than 



before contraction (fig. 4). 

 2.44. Very coarse fibrillary twitches occurred in B, jerking the lever back to its higher position 



again. 



3 p.m. Both A and B were stimulated twenty times in rapid succession. The fibrillary twitches 



which followed in B were recorded on a slowly moving surface (fig. 5). 

 3.17. After contraction and relaxation fine fibrillary twitches occurred in muscle B. 



4.26. Do. (fig. 9). 



5.35 p.m. No fibrillary twitches occurred in B before or after stimulation. 

 10 a.m. Muscle A still contracts well when stimulated, muscle B does not respond to electrical 

 stimulation. 



' From these and other similar experiments it appears that immersion of a skeletal 

 muscle in a solution of extract of S. sarmentosus is followed some little time after- 

 wards by shortening of the muscle and consequent elevation of the lever (see Plate II. 

 figs. 3 and 4, and Plate III. figs. 3 and 4). This shortening occurs very rapidly with 

 strong solutions, and it is not at first accompanied by visible fibrillary twitches. On 

 relaxing after stimulation, the muscle becomes more elongated for a time, but does not 

 reach the original abscissa. This elongation is soon overcome by coarse fibrillary 



12.7 p.m. 



1.2. 



2 p.m. 



2.22. 



2.25. 



2.27. 



2.36. 



2.42. 



