444 EFFECT OF POISONING THE FCETUS. 
The subjects of my experiments were dogs, cats, and 
rabbits. Dogs, from their size, are the most convenient, and 
furnish the most satisfactory results. 
From a considerable number of experiments, I select the 
following ones as fair examples : 
Experiment 1. — A pregnant bitch, a common smooth-haired 
terrier, weighing about twelve pounds, was rendered in- 
sensible by chloroform. The abdomen was opened in the 
median line, and the uterus was partially drawrn out. It was 
carefully divided over a foetus. The amnion was punctured, 
and the foetus, lively and vigorous, was allowed to escape. It 
was received upon a napkin, and remained connected with 
the mother only by the cord. The foetus was carefully sup- 
ported, so as to avoid stretching the cord. The abdominal 
wall was cautiously punctured with the point of the syringe, 
and ten minims of the solution (half a grain of strychnia) 
were injected into the cavity. When the syringe was with- 
drawn, no fluid escaped. The puncture was so minute that 
nothing exuded even upon pressure. The foetus, which 
struggled slightly after the operation, and then became 
tetanic, was suffered to remain where it lay, not in contact 
with the mother. 
An incision was then made in another part of the uterus 
over a second foetus, which was only partially exposed, and 
not drawn out. The side of the chest was wiped dry, the 
point of the syringe was inserted between the lower ribs, and 
about the same quantity of the solution was injected into the 
thorax. The piston was slightly retracted before the pipe 
was withdrawn, and not the least trace of moisture appeared. 
The part where the puncture was made was carefully watched 
for some seconds by Mr. Crowfoot and myself, and we both 
were fully satisfied on that point. That portion of the 
uterus which had only partially extruded was now carefully 
replaced, without any protrusion of the foetus, then the rest 
of the uterus, and lastly the foetus first operated on was 
returned into the abdomen, and the wound was closed by 
sutures. 
The bitch lay on her side motionless, and breathing tran- 
quilly for eight minutes from the time of the first operation. 
In about .nine minutes slight spasms appeared. These gra- 
dually increased in intensity, and continued, with scarcely 
any intermission, for eighteen minutes. In twenty-eight 
minutes from the time of the injection the dog was dead. 
Five minutes after her death, the abdomen was re-opened. 
There were two other foetuses, besides those two which had 
been injected — four in all. While the two which had re- 
