14 



Dr. C. Bolton. Physiological Action of a [Mar. 20, 



was easily scraped off and found to be soft, pasty, black, somewhat granular 

 in appearance, and possessed of a peculiar sweet smell. It dissolved quite 

 easily in water, forming a dark greenish-brown muddy solution with a slightly 

 acid reaction. 



On centrifugalisation or filtration a greenish-brown mud, chiefly composed 

 of starch grains, was separated, leaving a clear transparent dark brown 

 solution. Boiling for half an hour does not affect the action of the solution. 



The poison was dissolved in 0'86-per-cent. salt solution for intravenous 

 injection into animals. 



2. Fatal Dose in the Case of the Eabbit. 

 The solution was injected into the marginal vein of the ear in each case. 



Single doses : — 

 gramme. 



- 15 per kilogramme weight of animal killed in 3 mins. 



- 027 Completely recovered. 

 Repeated doses : — ■ 



gramme. 



0-029 per kilogramme weight of animal killed in 2 hrs. (as a 2nd dose). 



The minimum lethal dose is therefore about - 03 gramme per kilogramme 

 weight, but much smaller doses {e.g., 0-019) will kill if the animal has been 

 injected on previous days. 



3. Symptoms Following Injection of the Poison. 

 Rabbit. — There are four obvious symptoms : — 



(1) Movements of the jaws, tongue, and nose; (2) dyspnoea; (3) muscular 

 weakness ; (4) restlessness and often a slight convulsion immediately before 

 death. 



With large doses of the poison injected intravenously the symptoms begin 



0112 



0-094 



0-072 



0-065 



0-05 



0-031 



0-029 

 0-027 

 0-019 



20 mins. (as a 2nd dose). 

 15 „ (as a 3rd dose). 

 20 „ (as a 4th dose). 



