REVIEW OF BIOLOGY. 
307 
THE EXISTENCE OF A STRYCHNIZING SUBSTANCE IN THE MUSCLES 
OF TETANIC ANIMALS. 
By N. H. J. Courmont and N. Dayon. 
The muscle made tetanic by the subcutaneous injection, 
intra-muscular or intra-venous, of soluble products of the bacil¬ 
lus of Nicolaier (after a constant period of incubation) contains 
a strychnizing substance—that is, one which can give rise to 
contractions without incubation. The chemical isolation of this 
substance is most difficult, but it is possible to obtain it with a 
simple aqueous extract. This is prepared with the muscular mass 
of the region in contraction. The muscles are freed from all 
grease and hatched very fine; to the mass water is added, and 
is exposed to ebullition for forty-five minutes to an hour, until it is 
dried up. The remains are watered again, pressed and filtrated. 
The liquid thus obtained is then injected into the frog, better 
under the skin of a hind leg, so as to have the first contractions 
more apparent. 
According to the dose used, the frog will present either a 
simple hyperexcitability or a true strychnism , or a short period 
of excitability, soon followed by paralytic coma and death. 
From five to seven grams of tetanic muscle have given, to the 
authors, most marked effects. In that condition one can for 
several hours, if the animal lives, observe symptoms similar to 
the strychnia poisoning. 
The extracts can contain any trace of the soluble pro¬ 
ducts of the bacillus of Nicolaier, as these are made inactive by 
a heating at 65° F. 
The extract similarly obtained from the muscles of a normal 
dog is toxic to the frog except at high doses (some 20, 30 
grams of muscles or even more), and never produces phenom¬ 
ena of excitation.— Ibid. - 
ACTION OF TUBERCULINE AND OF MALLEINE UPON THE SUDORAL 
SECRETION. 
By M. M. Cadiot and Roger. 
Horses and cats which perspire easily were injected with 
tuberculine and malleine. From the effects produced, the follow¬ 
ing conclusions are derived: 
