Mr. Brodie on the different Modes 
196 
Experiments zvith the Upas Antiar * 
Exp. 21. About two grains of this poison were made into a 
thin paste with water, and inserted into a wound in the thigh 
of a dog. Twelve minutes afterwards he became languid ; at 
the end of fifteen minutes, the heart was found to beat very 
irregularly, and with frequent intermissions ; after this, he 
had a slight rigor. At the end of twenty minutes, the heart 
beat very feebly and irregularly ; he was languid ; was sick 
and vomited ; but the respirations were as frequent and as full 
as under natural circumstances, and he was perfectly sensible. 
At the end of twenty minutes, he suddenly fell on one side, 
and was apparently dead. I immediately opened into the 
thorax, and found the heart distended with blood in a very 
remarkable degree, and to have entirely ceased contracting. 
There was one distinct and full inspiration after I had begun 
making the incision into the thorax. The cavities of the left 
side of the heart contained scarlet blood, and those cf the 
right side contained dark coloured blood, as in a living 
animal. 
Exp. 22« A small quantity of the upas antiar, prepared as 
before, was inserted into a wound in the thigh of a young 
cat. She appeared languid in two minutes after the poison 
was inserted. The symptoms, which took place did not essen- 
tially differ from those which occurred in the last experiment, 
except that there were some convulsive motions of the limbs. 
* We are informed, that the island of Java produces two powerful vegetable poisons, 
to one of which the natives give the name of Upas tieute, and to the other that of 
Upas antiar. I was supplied with a quantity of the latter through the kindness of 
Mr. Mars den, who had some of it in his possession. 
