PROPERTIES OF NITROBENZOLE AND ANILINE. 
131 
apoplexy. The face was flashed; the lips were livid; the superficial vessels of the body, 
especially about the throat and arms, were gorged with blood; the dependent parts 
were turgid ; the blood was everywhere black and fluid ; the luugs were somewhat con¬ 
gested ; the cavities of the heart were full; the liver was of a purple colour, and the 
gall-bladder distended with bile ; the brain and its membranes were turgid, and in the 
case of the man there was much bloody serosity in the ventricles. Analysis discovered 
the existence of nitrobenzole in the brain and stomach, and also of aniline. 
These effects were so remarkable, that I determined to examine them still further by 
experiments on domestic animals. Dogs and cats were submitted to the action 
of from thirty to sixty drops of nitrobenzole which had been well washed with dilute 
sulphuric acid and water to free it from every trace of aniline. The poison was 
generally administered by pouring it into the mouths of the animals, but sometimes it 
was given by means of an oesophagus-tube. When the nitrobenzole had come into con¬ 
tact with the mouth, it always caused discomfort, as if from unpleasant taste, and there 
was profuse salivation. Its local action on the stomach, however, was never very great, for 
there w r as rarely any vomiting until the setting in of nervous symptoms, and this seemed 
to be due to sympathy rather than to any local irritation of the stomach. Two classes 
of effects were clearly observed ; there was either the rapid coma which characterized 
the operation of the poison on the human subject, or there was a slow setting in of para¬ 
lysis and coma, after a long period of inaction. 
When the effects were speedily fatal, the animal was soon seized with giddiness and 
an inability to walk. The weakness of the limbs first appeared in the hind extremities, 
and was manifested by a difficulty in standing; but very soon it extended to the fore 
legs, and then to the head and neck. There was complete loss of voluntary power. 
The animal lay upon its side, with its head drawn a little back, and with its limbs in 
-constant motion, as if in the act of walking or running. The muscles of the back were 
occasionally fixed in spasm, and every now and then the animal would have a sort of 
opileptic fit. It would look distressed, would howl as if in pain, and would struggle 
violently. After this it would seem exhausted, and would lie powerless. The pupils 
were widely dilated, the action of the heart was tumultuous and irregular, and the 
breathing was somewhat difficult. For some time, however, the animal retained its 
consciousness, for it would look up, and wag its tail when spoken to; but suddenly, and 
often at the close of a fit, it would become comatose,—the eye would remain open, but 
the conjunctiva would be insensible to touch, and the movements of the limbs would 
nearly cease; the breathing would be slow and somewhat stertorous, and the animal 
would appear as if it were in a deep sleep. This condition would last until it died,— 
the time of death varying from twenty-five minutes to twelve hours after the adminis¬ 
tration of the poison. 
When the action of the poison was slower, there was often no visible effect for hours 
or days. At first there was always a little discomfort from the taste of the poison, but 
this soon subsided, and then for a day or more the animal appeared to be in perfect 
health. It would go about as usual, would be quite lively in its movements, would eat 
its food heartily, and in fact would seem to be in no way affected by the poison. Sud¬ 
denly, however, it would look distressed, it would have an attack of vomiting, and it 
would tumble over in an epileptic fit. When this had subsided, it was generally found 
that the animal was weak, or even quite paralysed in its hind extremities ; and after two 
or three of such attacks, the loss of voluntary power would extend to the fore limbs. 
The animal would lie upon its side perfectly helpless, and then the progress of the case 
was much the same as that already described, except that it was considerably slower. 
Consciousness, for example, would be retained for days after the animal was paralysed, 
and, although it was quite unable to stand, it would take food and drink when they 
were put into its mouth. The condition in which it lay was most distressing : the look 
was anxious and full of fear; the limbs were in constant motion ; and every now and 
then there would be a violent struggle, as if the animal was in a fit, or was making 
fruitless efforts to rise. This would last for days, and then there would be either a gradual 
restoration of voluntary power with complete recovery, or death from exhaustion. The 
time that elapsed from the administration of the poison to the coming on of the first 
symptoms, namely, the epileptic fit, varied from nineteen hours to seventy-two, in most 
cases it was about two days, and the time of death was from four to nine days. 
The post-mortem appearances were nearly the same in all cases, vrhether the death 
