24 
POISONS : THEIR EFFECTS AND DETECTION. [§ ig. 
3. The strychnine or tetanic group of alkaloids—strychnine, 
brucine, igasurine. 
4. The aconite group of alkaloids. 
5. The mydriatic group of alkaloids—atropine, hyoscyamine, 
solanin, cytisine. 
6. The alkaloids of the veratrines. 
7. Physostigmine. 
8. Pilocarpine. 
9. Taxine. 
10. Curarine. 
11. Colchicin. 
12. Muscarine and the active principles of certain fungi. 
There would, perhaps, have been an advantage in arranging several 
of the individual members somewhat differently— e.g., a group might 
be made of poisons which, like pilocarpine and muscarine, are antago¬ 
nistic to atropine ; and another group suggests itself, the physiological 
action of which is the opposite of the strychnos class ; solanin (although 
classed as a mydriatic, and put near to atropine) has much of the 
nature of a glucoside, and the same may be said of colchicin ; so that, 
if the classification were made solely on chemical grounds, solanin 
would have followed colchicin, and thus have marked the transition 
from the alkaloids to the glucosides. 
DIVISION II.— Glucosides. 
1. The digitalis group. 
2. Other poisonous glucosides acting on the heart. 
3. Saponin. 
The glucosides, when fairly pure, are easily recognised ; they are 
destitute of nitrogen, neutral in reaction, and split up into sugar and 
other compounds when submitted to the action of saponifying agents, 
such as boiling with dilute mineral acids. 
DIVISION III.— Various Vegetable Poisonous Principles not 
READILY ADMITTING OF CLASSIFICATION IN THE PREVIOUS 
Divisions. 
1. Santonin. 2. Mezerein. 
It is probable that this class will in a few years be extended, for 
several other organic anitrogenous poisons exist, which, when better 
known, will most likely prove to be anhydrides. 
Ergot, picrotoxin, Tutin, the poison of Illicium religiosum, picric acid, 
cicutoxin, JbAhusa cynapium, CEnanthe crocata, croton oil, savin oil, the 
toxalbumins of castor oil and Abrus, Ictrogen, Lathyrus sativus, arum, 
and others. 
