336 Drs. V. H. Veley and A. D. Waller. Action of [Feb. 22, 



The constitutional formula? of these several bases are as follows : 



Pyridine. Picoline. Piperidine. 



CH CH CHo 



/\ /\ /\ 



HC I I CH CH I CH CH., I I CH„ 



HC I CH CH I CCH3 CH2 CHI 



jN N NH 



Nicotine. 

 Pyridyl M-methyl pyrrolidine. 

 CH CH, 



/\ /\ 



HC I I C HC I I CH.2 



HC CH N CH 



CH3 



Of these four bases we find that, as regards their action on muscle, nicotine is 

 the most active, and piperidine about half as active as nicotine. Picoline and 

 pyridine have about one-tenth of the toxic power of nicotine. This, of course, 

 is reckoning by molecules. 



The characteristic nicotine effect is altogether absent from the records of 

 the three other pyridine bases. To see whether it belongs to the pyrrolidine 

 moiety, or is characteristic of the entire molecule of nicotine, it would be 

 necessary to test the action of the former substance, but so far M'e have not 

 been able to obtain it. 



Smnwary of Ohservations. 

 Piperidine. 



0'085 per cent. «/100 Immediate abolition with contracture. 



0-021 „ w/400 Gradual decline. (Fig. .5.) 



0'043 „ ri/200 Abolition in Hi minutes with contracture. Coni- 



menceil after 12 minutes' imperfect recovery. 

 (Fig. 4.) 



Pyridine. (Fig. 6.) 



0'.39.') „ m/20 Abolition in 3 minutes without contracture. Recovery 



begins in 5 minutes and is complete, 

 then 0-1 !>7 „ njAQ No effect. 



01 97 „ n/40 No effect. 



tlien 0'.39.'') „ «/20 Abolition in 5 minutes without contracture. 



rivolinc. (Fig. 7.) 



0-09:} „ ///lOO No effect. 



0-1 80 „ 7>lM Very gradual decline. 



0-2.33 „ 7t/40 Abolition in 13 minutes witiiout contracture ; 



immediate recovery. 

 O' Klf) „ «/20 Abolition in 5i minutes ; immediate recovery. 



