712 
PROFESSOR HARLEY ON THE INFLUENCE OF 
No. 51. — In 100 parts of air. 
Oxygen . 
Carbonic acid . 
Nitrogen . . 
1 0-6o} Total 0xygen 17 ' 63 
82-37 
It is thus seen that the blood of the poisoned animal yields even a smaller quantity 
of carbonic acid than the blood to which strychnine has been added out of the body, 
while the quantity of oxygen that has disappeared is the same in both cases. 
Brucine. 
Besides strychnine the alkaloid brucine is also obtained from nux vomica, and the 
following experiment was made with the view of testing if it had a similar action upon 
blood. The experiment in this case, however, was somewhat extended in order to com- 
pare its action with that of two other substances, namely, quinine and morphia, and as 
the results obtained form rather an interesting series, I shall give them consecutively. 
A quantity of perfectly fresh calf’s blood, after being defibrinated and thoroughly 
saturated with oxygen by repeatedly shaking it with renewed quantities of air, was 
divided into several portions of 62 grammes each. To the first nothing was added ; to 
the second 0-005 gramme of brucine ; to the third 0-005 gramme of quinine ; and to the 
fourth 0-005 gramme of morphine : these alkaloids were all dissolved by the aid of a 
minimum quantity of hydrochloric acid. The different portions were then enclosed in 
receivers with 100 per cent, of air, and treated in the usual manner, with occasional 
agitation, in a room of moderate temperature during twenty-four hours. At the expi- 
ration of that period the air was analyzed, with the following results : — 
No. 52. — The air from pure calf’s blood contains in 100 parts of air — 
Oxygen . . 
Carbonic acid . 
Nitrogen . . 
o ^j-Total oxygen 10-11 
89-89 
The air from the calf’s blood plus brucine contained — 
No. 53. — In 100 parts of air. 
Oxygen. . . . 11-631 n _ 
, . . , _ _ . ITotal oxygen 13-97 
Carbonic acid . . 2*34 J Jb 
Nitrogen . . . 86-03 
It is thus seen that brucine acts like strychnine, but in a much less marked degree. 
Quinine. 
As has just been said, to another portion of the same blood as was employed in the 
two preceding cases, 0-005 gramme of quinine was added. 
