1910.] Action of South African Boxwood. 295 
4A. 
Fig. 4.—Cat. Weight 1400 grammes. B.P., Intestinal Volume and Respiration. A shows 
the effect of splanchnic excitation with the secondary coil at 15 cm. Tracing B shows 
the B.P. and intestinal volume 15 minutes later, after the injection of 45 milli- 
grammes of alkaloid. Splanchnic excitation with the coil pushed home is now 
without effect. Note the increased volume pulse in B as evidence of vaso-dilatation 
of splanchnic vessels. Time, half-minutes. 
nicotine are without appreciable effect when injected under these conditions 
(fig. 5). Adrenalin, on the contrary, retains its action, feebler than usual it 
is true, but still characteristic. But very large doses of boxwood can 
eliminate even the adrenalin effect on the vessels and heart. Pituitary 
extract also retains its pressor action, as well as the true muscle poisons, 
lead, barium, and digitalis. 
Some Apparent Stimulation Effects—Boxwood has now been shown to have 
a depressant effect on most nerve tissues, but one of the effects of small 
doses is to increase the movements of plain muscle in the body. This 
is easily shown in the case of the alimentary canal or uterus by the intra- 
venous injection of small doses. Thus fig. 6 is the record of an experiment 
