414 
THE PREFARATIONS OE CONIUM MACULATUM 
men was firm and solid, tlie commissure convex, the groove indicating the invo¬ 
lution of the albumen broad and deep, and the crenations of the ridges well- 
formed—all of which I take to be essential characters of a well-matured fruit. 
My friend Professor Bentley has also examined tlie fruit and pronounced it 
mature and good. The powder was prepared by means of a fineish hair sieve, 
and loitlioid the application of heat. It evolved a strong heavy mousy odour. 
When 14 ounces of the spirit had percolated, I collected f 5ss in a watch-glass, 
and allowed it to evaporate spontaneously. Only a slight yellowish-brown film 
of varnish remained upon the glass. The last six ounces of spirit came through 
colourless. 
Mr. Hemingway exposed the marc to powerful pressure, and obtained about 
two ounces of colourless spirit rendered turbid by a little greyish feculent matter. 
On examining this fluid, I found that it contained minute spherules of a colourless 
fixed oil. After exposure to the light for a few days the oil assumed a bright 
sap-green colour. The whole was evaporated to dryness over a water-bath, and 
the oil separated from a minute portion of brown residue, by means of ether. This 
-fixed oil was of an emerald-green colour, and possessed an odour resembling that 
of boiled linseed oil, and a nauseous rancid and bitter taste. It weighed 2 
grains. I applied to the eye, and swallowed a drop of it without any result. 
Its specific gravity was less than that of proof spirit (0-920). 
The following are the characters of the tincture: —Reaction slightly acid, 
colour light greenish-brown with an internal o^^alescence, a strong mousy odour. 
A mixture of f 5 ss of the tincture and f of water was nearly colourless, but 
after exposure to light and air for twenty-four hours, it had assumed a leaf-green 
colour. This change is probably characteristic and depending uj)on a resinous 
matter allied to the green oil above described. It is no doubt one of a similar 
nature to that which affects guaiacum resin, but unlike this substance, neither 
the tincture nor the oil v/ere rendered blue on exposure to protoxide of nitrogen. 
In order to ascertain the physiological effects of the tincture, I selected two 
individuals,—a weakly emaciated woman, M. A. R—h, aged thirty-seven, and 
myself. 
I began, November 11th, by taking f 5s3, and increased the dose f 5ss each 
day for the seven succeeding days, so that on November 18th I took f 5iv, on 
the 19th I took f 5 y, and on the 20th f 5vj. On the 21st I was called out of 
town, and was thus obliged to intermit my experiments for a few days. On 
the 28th of November I began again by taking f 5vj. On each of the three 
following days I increased the dose by f 5ij, taking f 5viij, f 5 x, and f 5 xij, on 
November 29th, 30tb, and December 1st respectively. I did. not take any 
conium on the 2nd December ; on the 3rd I swallowed f ^ij in Mr. Hemingway’s 
presence. 
The quantities above stated were taken in single doses, mixed with a little 
water, from l^- to 2| hours after breakfast. lu order that the body should be 
well prepared for the poison, I took, most mornings, on getting out of bed, 5 jfof 
bicarbonate of potash in a draught of water, sometimes alone, sometimes with a 
small proportion of tartaric acid. By this means the urine was preserved 
alkaline until late in the afternoon. The other mornings I purposely abstained 
from this or any other preparative measure. 
I carefully looked for effects, but found none after any of the doses, excepting 
a stimulant action from the larger quantities of spirit. There was no disorder, 
nor diminution of muscular power. The pupil, definition in the vision of near 
and distant objects, the pulse and all the functions remained in their usual state, 
and the secretions were active and normal. During the whole of the time I 
was working harder and longer than usual, and sleeping less ; nevertheless there 
was no sense of fatigue, neither drowsiness nor tendency to inaction. Every 
other day I was actively engaged with body and mind, and usually walked from 
