1889 - 90 .] Mr Dott and Dr Stockman on Morphine. 367 
Rabbits . — On rabbits no narcosis was ever observed and no trace 
of increased reflex. The alkaloid seems to act chiefly as a muscle- 
poison, and to produce death by gradually poisoning the muscles. 
At the same time the cord is somewhat depressed. After 5 centi- 
grammes the animal showed no symptoms except slight quietude. 
When 3-5 decigrammes were given to small rabbits death occurred 
after a longer or shorter period from paralysis of muscles of respiration. 
If the alkaloid be injected at both sides of the thorax the respiratory 
muscles are quickly paralysed and death soon occurs, but if injected 
into the thighs, for instance, death is considerably delayed. The 
muscles in the neighbourhood of the injection first pass into a 
condition of rigor mortis , which gradually spreads to other voluntary 
muscles. The urine was always of a deep emerald-green colour, 
owing, no doubt, to some green-coloured product from dimethyl- 
morphine being formed in the body and excreted by the kidneys. 
Apomorphine, as is well known, also tends to decompose into a 
green-coloured substance, and is also in a very marked degree a 
muscle-poison. Methocodeine, however, has not an emetic action. 
Even large doses had no effect on dogs beyond restlessness and 
anxiety. Harnack has pointed out that apomorphine, although 
used entirely in medicine for its emetic action, is essentially a 
muscle-poison, and that the emesis produced by it is, as it were, an 
accidental circumstance. Its chemical formula is C 1>r H l7 N0 2 (that 
is, morphine minus H 2 0) t but the change is probably much more 
profound than the removal of a molecule of water ; and there is, no 
doubt, to some extent a rearrangement of the morphine molecule. 
Methocodeine probably resembles it in chemical constitution, just 
as it does in pharmacological action. 
Morphine-Sulphuric Acid. 
We have so named this compound, as it appears to be morphine 
in which a hydrogen atom is replaced by the radical HSO s . It is 
described by Stolnikow as Morphin-dtherschmfelsdure , and we 
exactly followed his directions in its preparation. 20 grms. mor- 
phine and 8 grms. caustic potash were dissolved in 25 c.c. water, 
and to the solution was added gradually 15 grms. finely powered 
pyrosulphate of potash. After 12 hours the solution was diluted 
with 350 c.c. water, and filtered. The filtrate is rendered faintly 
