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DE. T. L. BRENTON AND ME. W. PYE ON THE ACTION 
tincture, when evaporated, leaves a resinous-looking extract, and when mixed with water 
gives a pale brownish-red precipitate. The watery solution of either the alcoholic Or 
aqueous extract becomes much darker in colour after exposure to air. 
An aqueous solution gives a brownish-black precipitate with ferric perchloride, 
indicating the presence of some form of tannin. It also gives a precipitate with 
tincture of galls or tannic acid, mercuric chloride, stannic chloride, gold chloride, silver 
nitrate, and lead acetate, either neutral or basic. If the precipitate produced by neutral 
lead acetate be removed by filtration, the addition of basic lead acetate to the filtrate 
causes very little further turbidity. Platinum chloride causes little or no precipitate. 
These reactions closely agree with those given by Santos and Procter. 
Santos states that, by passing the dilute tincture through animal charcoal, washing, 
drying, and boiling in absolute alcohol, he obtained a crystalline substance which was 
poisonous ; but Procter failed to obtain a poisonous substance, although he got crystals 
which were non-poisonous. 
From the small quantity of bark at our disposal, we have not attempted to isolate 
any active principle, as we feared our supply would not be more than sufficient for the 
investigation of its physiological action. 
Professor Liebreich, however, has lately succeeded in separating a crystalline sub- 
stance, which is exceedingly poisonous. 
General Action . — Its action on the lower animals has been investigated by Santos 
and Liebreich. The former found that a decoction of the bark caused alternate dila- 
tation and contraction of the pupils, appearance of delirium, violent retching, vomiting, 
symptoms of tetanus, and, finally, death. The crystalline principle obtained from the 
bark by Liebreich caused vomiting and sudden death, without previous loss of con- 
sciousness. Death is attributed by him to paralysis of the heart. 
In our own experiments on dogs and cats we have observed vomiting, weakness, and 
death during a convulsion from the effects of the drug, whether introduced into the 
stomach or injected under the skin, into the peritoneal cavity, or into the veins. 
GENERAL ACTION ON MAMMALS. 
Action on Cats. 
Experiment I. — February 23. 
Effects of a very Large Lose. 
Four and a half cubic centimetres of a saturated alcoholic solution of Casca* were 
injected into the abdominal cavity of a half-grown kitten weighing 746 grammes. At 
three minutes after the injection it began to walk stiffly, and a peculiar jerk occurred 
in the hind legs each time they were lifted. Respirations 60. At 5' after injection it 
* This solution was prepared by extracting the bark with alcohol and evaporating to dryness. The solid 
extract thus obtained was dissolved in warm alcohol in such quantity that on cooling a deposit occurred. The 
solution was then filtered and the filtrate employed for experiments. 
