202 
THE PRINCIPLES OF BOTANY. 
draught he at once became stiff and rigid, remaining for a few 
seconds motionless, and apparently dead. 
I next placed the animal on some straw on a table, and 
applied the handle of an electro-magnetic machine, fitted 
with damp sponges, to the back of the neck and over the 
extreme end of the spine. The effect was most marked and 
satisfactory. The dog at once exhibited symptoms of relief, 
and the spasms and rigidity were immediately removed, but 
only so long as the poles of the machine were in direct 
contact. I then applied chloroform on a piece of cotton 
wool to the nose, and kept this up from time to time so as to 
aid in subduing the pain. The spasms came on regularly for 
the first hour or two, at from five to ten minutes* interval, 
and for the next two hours they would vary from fifteen to 
thirty minutes* interval. Throughout the four and a half 
hours, during which the treatment was carried on, it was 
satisfactory to notice that the most violent spasm was at once 
subdued by the magnetic application, for if the poles were 
removed for an instant the animal exhibited most distressing 
symptoms of pain. It was also very noticeable that when 
the point of the finger was placed on the animal it exhibited 
signs of great uneasiness ; yet, when the damp sponge 
handles of the electro-magnetic machine were placed on the 
spine he at once became quiet, and the dull heavy eye became 
brighter. After four hours* constant treatment in this way 
the dog was able to walk about, though still very feeble. I 
then gave him a dose of areca-nut powder, with half an 
ounce of castor oil. On the day after he was as brisk as if 
nothing had happened. 
THE PRINCIPLES OE BOTANY. 
By Professor James Buckman, E.L.S., F.G.S., &c. 
( Continued from p. 111.) 
Though there are several curious plants which might be 
interesting to refer to under the term of blight, we can now 
only afford to mention the single species of Puccinia graminis, 
which is found so mischievous to our cereal crops. This 
species is here chosen, not only as a typical one of the genus, 
but as it affects both the corn and the straw, especially of 
wheat crops, it cannot fail to be interesting to our readers ; 
