October 14,1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
303 
other perceptible change than its assuming a more 
fluid condition. 
From what has been stated, it is observable that 
the poisonous principle is very unstable when in a 
state of extract, decomposes immediately when neu¬ 
tralized with lime, and is fixed (for a time at least) 
acetic acid. 
When the treatment of the plants was prolonged, 
the results were variable and of an indifferent cha¬ 
racter, which I attributed to the principles decom¬ 
posing spontaneously when in the presence of water. 
Also, as the season advanced the results were less 
satisfactory, as if indicating a smaller amount of the 
various principles,—that is, with reference to the 
shoots, bark, and leaves. 
The young ground shoots (plants growing from 
the ground) gathered in March, 1869, yielded most 
of the supposed alkaloid and the other principles. 
They were, besides, more woody than those subse¬ 
quently examined. The last examined were col¬ 
lected on the 3rd of December, 1869, and were 
shoots of the tree, but no trace of alkaloid was found, 
perhaps owing to the above-mentioned supposition. 
They were macerated for at least twenty-four hours 
in distilled water, with the application of a gentle 
heat. 
Report of Experiments made by Dr. Aclieson, with a 
Mixture of Slacked Lime and Water as the Anti¬ 
dote for Tutu Poison. 
“ For some time past I have been experimenting 
on various animals with a watery extract of tutu, 
prepared by Mr. Hughes, pharmaceutical chemist 
of this town, and, at his request, I now state the 
result. 
“ I administered to a cat fifteen grains of the ex¬ 
tract ; twenty minutes after, the respiration became 
very frequent, slight twitching of extremities, and in 
five minutes more a severe attack of convulsions, 
which lasted about three minutes. Then, an inter¬ 
ruption of ten minutes, followed again by a severe 
paroxysm, which lasted four minutes; again inter¬ 
mission of ten minutes, which was followed by a 
severe paroxysm of pure tetanic spasm, in which she 
expired. In this case, from the commencement of 
symptoms of poisoning, the slightest noise would in¬ 
variably excite a recurrence of the paroxysm. 
“ 2nd. I administered to a large dog half a drachm 
of the extract. Fifteen minutes after, breathing 
hurried, fteces expelled, vomited several times so 
severely that I was perfectly persuaded that the 
poison had been expelled. At the expiration of 
thirty minutes, tremors and slight twitching of the 
muscles of the extremities, and very much afraid to 
move out of one position. Then a severe paroxysm 
of convulsions, gnashing of teeth and frothing at the 
mouth, the paroxysm lasting about four minutes, 
then a remission of ten or twelve minutes, which 
was followed by the most severe and final paroxysm. 
“ In the above two cases, the extract had been 
prepared but two days. 
“ 3rd. On the afternoon of the third day after the 
preparation of the extract, I administered the same 
quantity to a similarly sized dog. At the expiration 
of thirty minutes, it having produced no effect, re¬ 
peated the dose in a fluid state. The double dose 
merely produced sickness and slight tremor. 
“ On the fourth day the extract had become very 
thin and watery, which led me to suppose that 
spontaneous decomposition had destroyed its poison¬ 
ous property. I therefore increased the dose to two 
drachms, yet no symptom of poisoning. 
“A few days after the above-mentioned experi¬ 
ments were made, I, with the assistance of Mr. 
Hughes, administered about a drachm of fresh ex¬ 
tract to two dogs. To one of the dogs the extract 
was given in a mixture of lime and water. It re¬ 
mained in the stomach for several minutes before 
vomiting commenced. After the expiration of half 
an hour from the cessation of vomiting, we deter¬ 
mined to administer a drachm of the extract alone, 
being merely dissolved in a little water. This he 
retained for twenty minutes without any vomiting 
taking place. We then administered to him a quan¬ 
tity of lime mixture. He never showed the slightest 
symptom of poisoning. To the other dog the extract 
was given in a quantity of water merely. A few 
minutes after administration, symptoms of poisoning 
commenced, and in twenty minutes he had a regular 
attack of pure tetanic convulsions. Immediately 
after the first paroxysm, we emptied into the stomach 
a quantity of the lime mixture, after which he had 
one severe fit, from which he recovered rapidly, and 
in the course of a very short period he was perfectly 
free from all symptoms of poisoning. 
“We administered to a rabbit about thirty grains 
in the solution of lime, it never evinced the slightest 
symptom of poisoning.* 
‘ ‘ In every case in which we administered the lime 
mixture the animal recovered rapidly, and when the 
extract was active it invariably gave fumes of am¬ 
monia on being mixed with lime. 
“ From what I have seen I am perfectly persuaded 
that lime is an antidote against the tutu poison; 
also, that by the fourth day of the watery extract it 
is almost inert. 
“ In every case experimented upon the animal re¬ 
mained perfectly conscious; indeed, the mode of 
attack and the appearance of the animal while in a 
paroxysm, strongly resembles poisoning by strychnia. 
“G. H. Acheson, F.F.P.G. 
“ Hokitika , April 5th, 1870.” 
TUTU AS A PYE-WOOD. 
Some woollen material, silk and linen, were boiled 
for a short time (half an hour to an hour), with some 
chips (the wood of the tree), afterwards treated with 
a hot solution of copperas. The colours were pure, 
from a neutral grey to a deep black, the dye varying 
in intensity according to the number of times the 
material was treated with the decoction of the wood. 
The dye is superior to that of logwood, inasmuch 
as it is pure. Woollen materials take it readily 
and well, silk is not so readily affected, and linen 
takes more time. The wood of the tree may be used 
as a substitute for logwood, and this property of the 
wood of the tree may be studied to advantage and 
profit. 
[The results given in the above paper being some¬ 
what at variance with those obtained by Mr. Skey 
(loc. cit.), they liave been carefully re-examined in 
the laboratory, and Mr. Skey is of opinion that some 
of the reactions cited by Mr. Hughes are not satis¬ 
factory, for the following reasons:— 
* Tutu does not act aa a poison upon rabbits. I kppt two 
of thorn for two days feeding upon tutu leaves, and attei- 
wards gave them several large doses of the poisonous extract. 
I thought one of them appeared a little stupefied, but it would 
eat well enough notwithstanding. 
