"2 Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa. 
of severe local inflammation, salivation, vomiting and purging were noted 
in most cases. 
(2) Subcutaneous Administration. — The extract had only slight toxicity 
when injected subcutaneously. A dose of 1 grm. per kilo of body-weight 
produced no general symptoms in rats, and all recovered. The injection was 
made into the back, near the tail. In almost every case the sciatic nerve on 
that side became paralysed. 
As it was possible that the rat might have some congenital tolerance for 
the active principle, a similar dose was injected into a cat and a rabbit, but 
again the effects were purely local. 
(3) Intravenous Injection. — A tincture, of which 5 c.c. were equivalent 
to 1 grm. of the bulb, was made with part of the remainder of the material. 
Itjwas used in the remaining experiments. The alcohol was driven off before 
Fig. 1. 
cote*.* 
it was used. The blood-pressure was recorded, and, as a rule, the respiratory 
movements, the heart volume, or the intestinal volume as well. 
Two main actions were seen : The heart was slowed and weakened. If 
the injection were made very slowly, with a dilute solution, the cardiac 
effect was lessened or absent. The blood-vessels as a rule were constricted. 
As a result of these actions the effect on the blood-pressure varied. Usually 
there was a sharp preliminary fall, which seemed to be due to the effect of 
the substance on the heart. The blood-pressure then rose again, sometimes 
not quite to its previous level, but sometimes considerably above it. If the 
injection were made very slowly there was a slight fall or a slight rise. 
These were the effects seen after injection of 05 c.c. of the alcohol-free 
tincture into the jugular vein of a cat. 
Three cubic centimetres of the tincture, if given in an undivided dose, 
was fatal, death being due to respiratory failure. 
Fig. 1 shows the effect of 05 c.c. of tincture of Eucomis undulata on 
the blood-pressure of a cat weighing 2340 grm. 
