1906.] Recently-Discovered African Arrow Poison. 



25 



Death occurred in four minutes, the same symptoms occurring as described 

 above. The final convulsion was practically absent. 



Post-mortem. — The heart was dilated. No clots were found in any portion 

 of the vascular system. 



Experiment 6. — Eabbit, weight 1000 grammes. Intravenous injection of 

 1/20 gramme filtered solution (= 0'05 gramme per kilogramme). No 

 symptoms occurred for five minutes and then the licking and chewing 

 movements commenced, the animal appearing to try and remove some object 

 from its mouth. Inspiratory dyspnoea occurred and finally muscular 

 weakness. Immediately before death a convulsion occurred. Death took 

 place 10 minutes after the injection. 



Post-mortem. — The heart was in diastole. No clots were seen anywhere 

 and the left side of the heart contained bright red blood as usual. 



Experiment 7. — Eabbit, weight 1050 grammes. Intravenous injection of 

 1/30 gramme of the filtered solution (= - 031 gramme per kilogramme). 

 The symptoms began in exactly the same way as in all the previous rabbits. 

 Inspiratory dyspnoea came on in an attack which lasted three minutes and 

 was succeeded by a period of rapid shallow breathing of 160 per minute. 

 In seven minutes an attack of inspiratory dyspnoea occurred which lasted a 

 few minutes and this was again succeeded by a period of rapid breathing. 



After one hour general weakness began to come on and the head drooped. 

 The animal could hop and was not paralysed, but certainly weak. Eespira- 

 tions 160. 



Two hours after the injection the animal was lying on its belly with the 

 head thrown back and breathing rapidly. It could not hop, but rolled over 

 on attempting to do so. It was apparently paralysed in the legs, but could 

 still crawl on the belly. 



The weakness became more profound and death occurred in two and a half 

 hours after the injection, a slight convulsion, the whole body being stretched 

 out and the head retracted, occurring just at death. 



Post-mortem. — The heart was dilated and no clots were seen anywhere in 

 the blood vessels. The blood in the left ventricle was bright red. 



Experiment 8. — Eabbit, weight 1800 grammes. Subcutaneous injection of 

 1/20 gramme of the filtered solution (= 0-027 gramme per kilogramme). 

 The animal developed no symptoms, and five days later it was quite normal. 



On the fifth day after the injection, another injection of 1/20 gramme was 

 given intravenously. Movements of the mouth and tongue occurred and 

 slow inspiratory dyspnoea, the head being extended in inspiration and the 

 mouth opened. In 10 minutes the inspiratory dyspnoea disappeared and the 

 breathing became rapid. 



