290 
CHEMICAL EXAMINATION OF SPURIOUS ANGUSTURA. 
sons, and the principles of physiology, he was 
led to the following results as to the manner 
in which this poison acts, and its chemical 
nature. 
f. The poisonous angnstura shews, with respect 
to the effects that it produces on animal bodies, the 
greatest analogy to the poisonous species of strych- 
nos, viz. Strychnos nux vomica^ Strychnos ignatii, 
and Upas tieute. 
2. With regard to the part of the animal body it 
affects, and the circnmstauces under whicli it ope- 
rates, ilagrees perfectly with most other poisons, as 
arsenic, barytes, tartarns emeticns, wliiie helle- 
bore, viper poison, sulphuretted hydrogen, opium, 
spiritus vini, prussic acid, and the poisons contain- 
ing it, as the oil of bitter almonds, the prniins 
lauro cerasus, nud padus, and the above-mention- 
ed poisonous species of strychnos, the upas antiar ; 
and the American arrow poisons, as ticuna, lama, 
and woorara. 
3. It exerts its fatal influence by penetrating 
the coats of the blood-vessels, mixiitg immediately 
with the blood, and then, by means of tlie citcnla 
tion, affecting the spinal mat row in a tnatitier rie- 
eti uctive and mortal to the whole Itody. The ab- 
sorption of the poison lias no share in its effects, 
and all local effects produced by it, proceed only 
from file affection of the spinal marrow. 
4. The action of this poison, like that of the 
species of strychnos, seems to depend on a com- 
bination analogous to prussic acid : for hitter 
angiistura ami those species of strychnos (and 
generally if not all, at least most vegetable poisons) 
contain, like prussic acid, a great deal of azote; it 
lias also, in common with the latter, and the poi- 
sons containing prussic acid, tlie bitter taste which 
is very distinct in bitter almonds; and which, in 
these, does not proceed from extractive matter, as 
Pfaff contends, but from an etherial oil, as they 
altogether lose it when the latter is dissipated. 
•| he poisonous species of strychnos afford besides, 
by the salts of iron, a change of colont and preci- 
pitation, like prussic acid; and I find, by my latest 
investigalaiioii, that water distilled over hitter 
almonds, indeed, partly loses its poisonous proper- 
ties, by precipitating the prussic acid by meatis of 
salts of iron (jtisi as bitter poisons do by the ab- 
sence of that part which forms with the iron a datk 
green precipitate,), but not entirely, like the water 
impregnated with prussicacid.or prnssiatedalcohol ; 
and that, when digested with iron and alcali, it has 
the property of always reproducing new prussic 
acid. Ihe datk greenish precipitate, which tlie 
bitter poisons prodtice when combined with the 
salts of iron, contains indeed no proper prussic 
acid, and is in other respects different from Pius 
sian blue; hut it consists, like the other, ofacon- 
stituent matter and iron, and seems, like this, to 
be innoxious to animal bodies,; besides, free liquid 
piussic acid produces, with the salts of iron, pre- 
cipitates, which likewise differ from Prussian blue, 
and seem to indicate some modifications of prussic 
acid. 
The following fact seems, however, still more 
strongly to militate in favour of such a chemical 
composition of the bitter poisonous matter. 1 have 
observed, that that remarkable hitter substance 
which is obtained, after Welter and other chemists, 
fiom amimal and other bitter suhsiances similar 
to them, if treated in a warm atmosphere with 
nitiic acid, has an influence on animal life similar 
lo that of bitter angustura; for this nearly 
agrees in its chemical composition with prussic 
acid. 
We may remark, also, in this respect that opium, 
but especially all arrow poisons, have a strongly 
bitter taste; and that, according to the excellent 
Investigation of Majendie and Deiile, all hitter 
species of strychnos are poisonous ; those, on the 
other band, that are not hitter, like strychnos 
potatorum and vontac, are innoxious; and, ac- 
cording fo Leschenanlt, Ihe interior of the root of 
fetryclinos tieuti, the external hitler haik of which 
furnishes the strongest upas poisoii, is tasteless, 
and free from all pernicious properties. Many 
kinds of quassia amarawe also poisonous for birds, 
lizards, and flies, (upon which animals only i have 
hitherto tried them); and especially all those are 
poisons which produce, iviih ilie salts of iron, a 
steel grey precipitate ; and lastly, according to late 
observations, a red gentian root occurring in trade, 
has shewn narcotic properties*. All these cii- 
ciimstances i ender it probable, that most vegetable 
poisons contain a substance similar to prussic acid, 
atid that the simple constituents of it foi m a set ies 
of comhinatioiis which have the same relation to 
prussic acid which the vegetalile acids have to 
acetic acid. 
The fatally poisonous properly of putrid black 
puddings, wliirh has tieen confirmed hy late me- i 
laiiclioly itistances, depends perhaps on something |j 
similar. The poison, however, which is produced |' 
in black (uiddings seems, more nearly to approach - 
to the rancid acidity to which also vegetable oils I' 
are liable, as the symptoms which attend its opera- |i 
lions are similar to those produced by arsenic i 
and coppert. 
Mr. BRAMLEY’S INTRODUCTORY 
LECTURE 
Was delivered on the 6th instant, at which ' 
were present the Right Honourable the Go- j 
vernor General, the Honourable Mr. Shake- j 
spear, and a crowded audience. It embraced I 
a lucid exposition of the value of the study 
of anatomy, a perfect knowledge of which 
was to be acquired in the dissecting room 
only. Without this knowledge no man 
could become a thoroughly enlightened 
practical surgeon and physician ; the , 
studies of both were precisely the same and 
were inseparably connected ; and, having 
enlarged upon the value and importance 
of the study of medicine with reference to 
the happiness and comforts of mankind, he 
concluded by exhorting his pupils to look 
to himself and his colleagues not in the 
heartless relation of teachers to them, but 
as connected by more endearing ties, 
having embarked in one self-same cause, 
mutually and cordially co-operating to attain 
one great and important end. 
* Neues^Berlinesches Jahrbuck far Phar- 
macie von Dobereiner, Berlin, ISll. 869. 
•f If black puddings, Which are a compound of 
animal and vegetable matters, in a putrid state 
possess poisonous propeities, does it not confirm 
Dr. Burrows’ hypothesis, that putrefaction is the 
real cause of the poisonous qualities found in 
various fishes?— Vide London Medical Repository , 
vol. iii. p. 4C7-8, 
