ME. J. PRIESTLEY ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OP VANADIUM. 519 
administered, although, relatively large, failed to produce any nervous symptoms what- 
ever ; and the intense gastric and intestinal congestion and blood-extravasations, together 
with the evident signs of great abdominal pain, vomiting, and watery or sanguinolent 
rectal discharges, during life, gave unmistakable indication of the cause of death. In 
cats, which are killed by much smaller doses of V 2 0 5 than dogs, nervous symptoms (con- 
vulsions) occurred, in addition to the signs of intestinal irritation, which were similar, 
though, owing to the rapidity of death, not so marked as in dogs. 
Besides those above mentioned, indications of disorder in other portions of the animal 
system were noticeable. Thus, in guineapigs and rabbits, one of the earliest symptoms 
of poisoning was that respiration became rapid and shallow ; and when steps were taken 
for exact observations, it was found in rabbits (1) that this alteration in the character of 
the respirations was accompanied by a fall of about 1° C. in temperature, and (2) that 
as soon as the nervous symptoms became well marked the number of respirations per 
minute sank at once. 
Drowsiness or indifference to external circumstances was noticed in all cases of vana- 
dium-poisoning, and it often supervened extremely rapidly after introduction of the 
drug. Consciousness did not seem in any case to be impaired, as far as it was possible 
to judge. Sensibility to pain also, seemed perfect. The cord and brain were not 
congested. 
Congestion of the lungs was observed to follow in some guineapigs and one cat, but 
not in rabbits or dogs. 
Muscular and nervous irritability remained for many hours in all cases where indica- 
tions of it were sought, and appeared normal. 
In rabbits the pulse was noticed to be slow and feeble. The hearts of frogs continued 
to beat for a long time after paralysis of motion was complete, and the hearts of rabbits 
&c. were always irritable, if not contracting, for some time after death. 
When injected into the stomach the general symptoms were similar in kind to those 
mentioned above ; in addition, great prostration followed in rabbits, and, in guineapigs, 
vomiting when the dose was large, and excessive secretion of urine when it was small. 
The minimum lethal dose for rabbits, when injected under the skin, lies between 
14‘66 and 9T8 milligrammes of V 2 0 5 per kilogramme. 
B. Special action on various functions of the Animal Body. 
i. Special Action of the Poison on the function of Muscular Tissue 
( after local application). 
On Voluntary Muscle. 
Exp. XXXVII.— June 4, 1874. 
1 h. 35 m. Decapitated a small toad. Cut off the legs at the knee, leaving the feet 
