672 EXTRACTS FROM A LECTURE ON STRYCHNINE. 
mony does not render the detection of strychnine in the animal system more 
difficult. Indeed, from the more distinct indications of strychnine obtained 
from every part of the white dog and black dog, as contrasted with the 
horse and large police dog, I am inclined to regard the previous ad- 
ministration of antimony as favorable to the chemical detection of strych- 
nine after death. Although it would be injudicious to deduce a positive 
conclusion from a single experiment, yet I may be allowed to draw attention 
to the influence which the coniine appeared to exercise over the action of 
strychnine. The white dog received less than a grain of strychnine, and 
was seized with tetanus in eighteen minutes from the commencement of the 
experiment, and died in twenty minutes after the tetanic symptoms mani- 
fested themselves ; whilst the black dog, which had partaken of fully a 
grain and a half of strychnine, along with extract of hemlock, was not seized 
with^tetanus till thirty-three minutes after the administration of the first 
dose, and survived the appearance of the spasms for twenty-nine minutes. 
In other words, the white dog had passed through the severest stages, 
and had fallen into the period of repose, before the black dog, with more 
strychnine to act upon its system, showed the slightest uneasy feeling. 
Moreover, after the spasms did come on, they were at no time so severe in 
the case of the black dog as those occurring in the white dog. 
An experiment was likewise performed for the purpose of determining 
how far morphia influenced strychnine-poisoning. For this purpose a healthy 
cat was treated as follows : 
THE CAT. 
0 minute. £ gr. strychnine and 1 gr. muriate of morphia. 
38 minutes. ,, „ „ 
On both occasions the powder was placed by force in the mouth of the 
cat, as the animal could not be induced to take it in food. Much frothy 
matter was expelled from the mouth, and some strychnine was doubtless 
lost in this way. 
43 minutes. 
46 
50 
3J 
53 
56 
Tremors — tetanic spasms — claws repeatedly expanded and 
retracted. 
Laborious breathing — pupils much dilated. 
Head thrown back, causing the body to describe an arch — 
animal then thrown on its side — heavy breathing, accom- 
panied by more or less violent spasms. 
Repose. 
Death. 
In this instance I cannot say the spasms were in the slightest degree re- 
lieved by the morphia. Their occurrence appeared to be delayed for a short 
time, but when tetanus did come on, the spasms were no less violent than 
when strychnine was administered alone. 
Chemical analysis showed strychnine to be present in (1) the contents of 
the stomach, (2) contents of the duodenum, (3) muscle, (4) liver, spleen, 
lungs, heart, and kidneys, (5) blood, and (6) urine. 
Granting then that strychnine can be discovered throughout the system 
of an animal poisoned by it, the question comes to be, will not time, with 
its host of putrefying agents, rub out all trace of the poison ? On this 
point I have some experiments to adduce. The horse, previously referred 
to, after being buried for four weeks, was again exhumed, and the remaining 
portions of the lungs, liver, and heart, with a considerable portion of muscle 
and intestine, were taken out aud submitted to analysis Strychnine was 
present in (1) the intestines, (2) muscle, and (3) the lungs, liver, and heart. 
Other portions of the horse, which had lain above ground for three weeks 
