in which Death is produced by vegetable Poisons. 187 
Exp. 10. Three ounces of infusion of tobacco were injected 
into the rectum of a dog. He was affected with symptoms 
similar to those in the former experiments, and died at the 
end of ten minutes. On opening the thorax immediately after 
death, I found the heart much distended, and to have entirely 
ceased contracting. 
Exp. 11. Three ounces of infusion of tobacco were injected 
into the rectum of a dog. Immediately there took place tre- 
mulous contractions of the voluntary muscles. Five minutes 
afterwards the injection was repeated in the same quantity. 
The dog then was sick, and threw up some of the infusion, 
with other matter, from the stomach ; he became faint, and 
died ten minutes after the second injection. Immediately after 
respiration had ceased, I opened the thorax, and found the 
heart extremely distended, and without any evident contrac- 
tion, except of the appendix of the right auricle, which every 
now and then contracted in a slight degree. I divided the 
pericardium on the right side. In consequence of the extreme 
distension of the heart, this could not be done without irritating 
the fibres with the point of the scalpel. Immediately both 
auricles and ventricles began to contract with considerable 
force, so as to restore the circulation. Artificial respiration 
was produced, and the circulation was kept up for more than 
half an hour, beyond which time the experiment was not 
continued. 
We may conclude from these experiments, that the effect 
of the infusion of tobacco, when injected into the intestine of 
a living animal, is to destroy the action of the heart, stopping 
the circulation and producing syncope. It appeared to me that 
the action of the heart ceased even before the animal had 
