V 
in which Death is produced by vegetable Poisons. 189 
At the time of the injection, the body of the animal lay 
perfectly quiet and motionless on the table ; the heart acted 
regularly one hundred times in a minute. Ten minutes after- 
wards the pulse rose to one hundred and forty in a minute ; 
the peristaltic motion of the intestines was much increased, 
and the voluntary muscles in every part of the body were 
thrown into repeated and violent spasmodic action. The 
joints of the extremities were alternately bent and extend- 
ed ; the muscles of the spine, abdomen, and tail alternately 
relaxed and contracted, so as to turn the whole animal from 
one side to the other. I have observed, in other instances, 
spasmodic actions of the muscles, where the circulation was 
kept up by artificial respiration, after the removal of the head, 
but not at all to be compared, either in strength or frequency, 
with those, which took place on this occasion. I made pres- 
sure on the abdominal aorta for more than a minute, so as to 
obstruct the circulation of the blood in the lower extremities ; 
but the muscular contractions were not lessened in conse- 
quence. Half an hour after the injection of the infusion, the 
artificial respiration was discontinued. The heart continued to 
act, circulating dark coloured blood ; the muscular contractions 
continued, but gradually diminished in strength and frequency. 
I tied a ligature round the vessels at the base of the heart, so 
as to stop the circulation, nevertheless the muscular contrac- 
tions still continued, though less frequent and forcible than 
before, and some minutes elapsed before they entirely ceased. 
In this experiment, the disposition to contraction in the 
muscles was very much increased, instead of being diminished, 
as in those just related. If the infusion of tobacco influences 
the heart from being absorbed into the blood, and thus coming 
mdcccxi. B b 
