1906.] Recently-Discovered African Arrow Poison. 



15 



almost at once or from one or two minutes after injection. The first 

 symptoms are licking movements and twitching of the alee nasi, the jaws 

 being moved as if the animal were trying to chew or swallow ; sometimes it 

 puts up its fore paw as if endeavouring to remove something from the 

 mouth. Occasionally salivation occurs. Attacks of inspiratory dyspnoea 

 then come on, the animal opening its mouth and stretching its neck in 

 inspiration, and these alternate with periods of rapid shallow breathing. 

 A general muscular weakness now prevails ; the head sinks down, and the 

 animal finally collapses and lies panting on its side. It sometimes tosses 

 itself about in its efforts to hop, or rolls over and staggers about. Finally, 

 a slight convulsion, in which the animal stretches itself out, occurs during 

 the death agony. 



After very small doses the only sign of poisoning may be a single attack 

 of dyspnoea, or more prolonged and laboured breathing with movements 

 of the jaws and tongue may occur, and the animal may subsequently recover 

 without any weakness supervening. On auscultation of the chest air is 

 heard to enter the lungs quite well, and the heart, as a rule, is rapid, but on 

 one occasion for a while it was slow and irregular in rhythm. 



Gat. — Similar symptoms are observed with intravenous injections as in the 

 ■case of the rabbit, and they come at the same time, e.g., salivation, licking, 

 and chewing movements, the saliva being churned up into a foam, with 

 coughing and retching, but no vomiting. Dyspnoea, inspiratory or shallow 

 and rapid, and muscular weakness then supervene, and during a convulsion 

 in 'which faeces are voided death occurs. 



Guinea-pigs. — After intraperitoneal or subcutaneous injection of an 

 amount sufficient to kill a rabbit the symptoms commence after about 

 half an hour, and in one hour they are well marked. The animal lies on its 

 abdomen, and on trying to move violent trembling comes on, and it staggers 

 about. There is marked loss of power in the legs, especially the front legs, 

 and the head sinks down as if too heavy for the muscles to support. For 

 some time the animal can move along by means of its hind legs, but finally 

 they become completely powerless, and it lies on its side breathing rapidly. 

 The respirations become slower, and after a few gasps it dies. No convul- 

 sions or twitchings occur. Death takes place in about one and a half hours. 



4. Post-mortem Appearances. 

 The only abnormal appearances found after death are seen in the heart 

 and large blood vessels, and these indicate that death has occurred from 

 heart failure. The remaining organs of the body have invariably been found 

 normal. 



