158 POISONOUS PROPERTIES, OF THE CALOTROFIS GIG ANTE A, 



mucous membrane corrugated, the intestines were contracted pre- 

 senting a cord-like appearance, and spots of inflammation were 

 visible. 



The left ventricle of the heart and the larger vessels contained 

 fluid blood. 



A second experiment was made on a little dog. The quantity 

 used was 60 drops diluted with water. 



The symptoms already referred to followed each other in regular 

 succession being attended with bloody stools. Death ensued in this 

 case in 18 minutes. 



These experiments afford sufficient and satisfactory data to lead 

 us to the conclusion, that the milk of the mudar may be placed on 

 the list of the most deadly vegetable poisons in Ceylon and India. 



In the rapidity with which it destroys life, it is equal to the 

 poison of the Upas, the celebrated Java poison, which it is well 

 known is a milky juice drawn from the Antiaris Toxical ia pro- 

 ducing the same symptoms on the animal economy that the juice 

 of the warra does. 



From the effects which the milk of the Calotropis gigantea has 

 thus been ascertained to produce, it appears to me to belong to the 

 class of Narcotic-Irritant poisons, a class of poisons that act on 

 the Cerebro-spinal system of the nerves paralysing the muscles 

 and finally the heart. 



During the trial of the case it was clearly proved that the patient 

 suffered from exactly the same painful and fatal effects that were 

 noticed in my two experiments; and the contracted cord-like ap- 

 pearance of the man's Intestines sent to me for examination at once 

 convinced me that death was caused by the effects of the Mudar 

 Milk, which, though as I believed hitherto unknown as a poison, 

 is positively such, and that of an irritant character. 



As this cannot but be of great interest to the Indian Toxicolo- 

 gist, I have in these few remarks brought it to the notice of this 

 Society, as this is the only literary and scientific body in Ceylon 

 through which the fact can be communicated. 



