98 



Dm. S. Martin and K. N. Wolfenden. [May 16, 



Fig. 1. — Pigeon weighing 216 grams : "2 gram abrus-globulin injected over 

 pectoral muscle (0 "925 gram per kilo, of body weight). Death in 5 hours 

 45 mins. Temperature curve, thick line ; respiration curve, dotted line. 



The respirations are seen from th.e curve to diminish, more rapidly 

 than the temperature falls for fifty-five minutes after inoculation; 

 there is then a stationary period until 115 minutes, after which the 

 number of respirations per minute rapidly rises until death. The 

 curves, therefore, show a fall of temperature with an increase in the 

 number of respirations. 



In other experiments, where the temperature has been regularly 

 taken, and the respirations counted, the same phenomena have been 

 observed. 



In an experiment where a pigeon weighing 397 grams was inocu- 

 lated with 0*15 gram of abrus-globulin (0*373 gram per kilo, of body 

 weight), the fall of temperature was at first very rapid ; from 107'1° F. 

 to 105° F. in less than half an hour, after which the temperature 

 remained stationary (with slight fluctuations) until near death. 



All the experiments point to the fact that abrus-globulin produces, 

 when subcutaneously inoculated, a remarkable fall of temperature in 

 pigeons; at the same time producing in them, great rapidity of 

 respiration, a phenomenon also observed in mammals. 



Effect on Blood Pressure.— The effect of abrus-globulin on the blood- 

 pressure was tested in dogs. Thus, in one experiment, where a dose 

 of O'Ol gram per kilo, of body weight was injected into the femoral 

 vein, there was no effect on the blood pressure in the carotid artery 

 nor on the inhibitory power of the vagus, which was tested 15 minutes, 



