48 ACTION OF UilARI AND OF STRYCHNIA. 
unfit to perform its office ; but it must be observed that in 
this case the cause of death is not so plain, inasmuch as in 
these animals the functions are in a great degree independent 
of the pulmonary respiration. 
II. Strychnia. 
Some experiments with strychnia (the acetate) gave the 
following results : 
1. Strychnia has not the least influence on the peripheral 
nerves through the blood, which is best shown by cutting the 
nerves before administering the poison. 
2. Strychnia paralyses the motor nerves of the voluntary 
muscles by exciting them to too energetic action, a paralysis 
which may be compared to that caused by powerful electric 
currents acting upon the nerves. In frogs, when the tetanic 
spasms are over, the nerves often show no trace of excita- 
bility ; in mammalia they generally retain it in a slight de- 
gree, but never show the same energy of action as when 
uninjured. 
3. Strychnia does not affect the sensory nerves. 
4. The heart is not affected by strychnia, not even during 
the tetanic spasms, with the exception only that its pulsations 
are sometimes a little slower during the tetanic state. On 
the contrary, the lymph hearts of frogs contract themsel/es 
as soon as the tetanus begins, and remain in this state as 
long as the spasms last. 
5. The tetanic fits can be brought on in two ways : first, 
through the sensory nerves, which, by irritating the gray 
substance of the spinal cord, produce the tetanic contractions 
as reflex movements; and, secondly, through the brain, 
which is not affected at all by strychnia, and preserves its 
powers of volition and sensation. Accordingly, animals poi- 
soned with strychnia try to move in the ordinary way ; but 
every attempt brings on a tetanic fit, so that it is plain that 
the spinal cord may also be excited by the brain to its pecu- 
liar actions. 
6. If the tetanus produced by strychnia has been strong, 
the muscles are less irritable and pass much sooner into the 
state of cadaveric rigidity, which is very strongly marked, 
and seems to last longer than it generally does. The same 
early onset of rigidity may be observed in animals killed by 
tetanus excited by electricity . — Medical Times and Gazette . 
