382 



Prof. J. T. Cash and Mr. W. R Dunstan. 



towards pseudaconitine than towards the other two : it has been found 

 impossible hitherto to determine how far rapidity of elimination varies 

 between the alkaloids. 



Sensory Nerves. — Local applications of the aconitine ointments of 

 equal strengths are followed by a somewhat more powerfully depres- 

 sant and enduring effect when these contain aconitine or japaconitine 

 than pseudaconitine. This statement has reference to cutaneous sensory 

 and thermic impressions in the human subject. The difference is at 

 most but slight. 



Motor Nerve and Muscle. — The action of the individual alkaloids is 

 much the same whether specimens of R. esculenta or R. temporaria 

 are used. It is more difficult to reduce reaction or to produce 

 insensitiveness of the intramuscular motor nerves by pseudaconitine 

 than by the other alkaloids. The so-called curare-like action has 

 been found for all the alkaloids to be much feebler than was at one 

 time supposed. 



Direct contact of the alkaloidal solutions with muscle-nerve pre- 

 parations reduces excitability, the muscle being affected by solutions 

 containing less than 1 in 1,000,000, and the nerve by solutions still 

 weaker. Pseudaconitine is recognised as producing a rather weaker 

 effect than the two other alkaloids, which are nearly equal to one 

 another, japaconitine being slightly the more energetic. 



The results of the experiments detailed in this paper do not in all 

 respects agree with previous observations ; especially is this the case 

 with regard to the relative toxicities of the three aconitines. The 

 general order of toxicity towards mammals is pseudaconitine, jap- 

 aconitine, and aconitine, which is the least toxic. Pseudaconitine has 

 been found (roughly speaking) twice as toxic as aconitine towards the 

 small mammals and birds used in the research. This agrees closely 

 with the results of Adelheim* and Bohm and Ewers. f Cloettaj 

 states that pseudaconitine is the stronger alkaloid, but gives no propor- 

 tion. Our results differ from those of Nothnagel and Kossbach,§ who 

 state that pseudaconitine is seventeen times as active as aconitine, 

 and of Harnack and Meunicke,|| who find the under margin of active 

 dosage equal. KobertU finds pseudaconitine and aconitine to be in 

 activity " ziemlich gleich." 



The relative toxicity of japaconitine to aconitine is approximately 

 as ten to about nine towards the small mammals and birds which were 

 used. Previously japaconitine has been seldom contrasted with the 



* Adelheim, 1 Forens. Chem. Untersnch,' Dorpat, 1860. 



f Bohm and Ewers, ( Arch. f. Exp. Path. u. Pharm.,' 1873, Bd. 1, p. 385. 



X Cloetfca, ' Lehbr. d. Arzneim. u. Arzneiverordnungsl..' Freib., 1885. 



§ Nothnagel u. Eossbach, 'Mat. Med. u. Therap.' (Fr.), 1880, 685. 



|| Harnack and Meunicke, ' Berl. Klin. Wchsch.,' 1883, No. 43, p. 657. 



% Kobert, < Lehbr. d. Intox.,' p. 657. 



