430 
DR. JOHN 
STENHOUSE 
ON THE ACTION 
OF 
Calculated numbers. 
I. 
II. 
15 C 
1125-0 
31-14 
30-77 
14 H 
175-0 
4-84 
5-26 
N 
175-2 
4-87 
Hg 
1250-9 
34-62 
34-08 
34-11 
2 Cl 
886-4 
24-53 
24-22 
3612-5 
The formula of this salt, therefore, is C ,5 H ,3 N, H Cl, Hg Cl. 
When hydroehlorate of sparteine is added to the solution of bichloride of gold, a 
double gold salt is produced. It is but slightly soluble either in water or spirits of 
wine, but it readily dissolves in hot hydrochloric acid, out of which it crystallizes in 
shining yellow scales. When sparteine is added to a solution of chloride of copper, 
a green coloured precipitate is produced, which contains sparteine, and is probably 
a double salt. Similar combinations are also formed with both neutral and basic 
acetate of lead. 
Sparteine possesses pretty powerful narcotic properties. When a single drop of it 
dissolved in acetic acid was administered to a rabbit, it immediately became exceed- 
ingly excited, and was thrown into a state resembling intoxication. This lasted 
five or six hours, and during a considerable portion of the time the rabbit remained 
in a profound sleep, from which it could with difficulty be roused. A similar dose 
produced the same effects upon a small dog. When four grains of the base were 
administered to a full-grown rabbit, violent excitement was at first produced ; the 
animal, however, soon fell into a comatose state and expired in the course of three 
hours, but without exhibiting any violent convulsions. Sparteine appears therefore 
to be a tolerably strong narcotic poison, though certainly very inferior in this respect 
to either nicotine or coniine. Though the narcotic effects of broom are not noticed, 
so far as I am aware, by any medical writer, they have long been familiar to the 
peasantry. Thus shepherds have observed that, during snow storms, when their sheep 
were compelled to eat the tops of broom for subsistence, they were apt to become 
excited and stupified, so that they not unfrequently left their shelter, and, wandering 
over the snow, they soon fell asleep, and if neglected not unfrequently perished. 
Scoparine, as I already mentioned, acts as a powerful diuretic ; the dose for a 
grown-up person being from five to six grains repeated three times successively at 
intervals of four hours. It begins to operate in about twelve hours, and the amount 
of the urine is considerably more than doubled*. It is plain therefore that in employ- 
ing a decoction of broom tops, as has hitherto been the practice, the patient is sub- 
jected to the narcotic influence of the sparteine as well as to the diuretic effects of 
the scoparine, a result which in general is not likely to be desirable. 
* I am indebted for the preceding experiments on the physiological effects of sparteine and scoparine, to 
my friend Dr. Arthur Mitchell of Glasgow, who kindly undertook them at my request. 
