MUSCARINE. 
437 
§§ 532, 533.] 
Muscarine is a colourless, strongly alkaline, syrupy fluid, which, if 
allowed to stand over sulphuric acid, becomes gradually crystalline, but 
liquefies again on exposure to the atmosphere. It dissolves in water in 
every proportion, and also in alcohol, but is very little soluble in chloro¬ 
form, and insoluble in ether. It is not precipitated by tannin : it forms 
salts with acids, and gives precipitates with auric chloride, phospho- 
tungstic and phosphomolybdic acids, and also with potassio-mercuric 
iodide. The last precipitate is at first amorphous, but it gradually 
becomes crystalline. This was the compound used by the discoverers 
to separate the base. With many other general alkaloidal reagents 
muscarine forms no compound that is insoluble, and therefore gives no 
precipitate, such, e.g., as iodine with potassic iodide, picric acid, and 
platinic chloride. Muscarine is a stronger base than ammonia, and 
precipitates copper and iron oxides from solutions of their salts. Mus¬ 
carine is very poisonous ; 2 to 4 mgrms. are sufficient in subcutaneous 
injection to kill cats in from two to twelve hours—larger doses in a few 
minutes ; but with rabbits the action is less intense. Cats become 
salivated, their pupils contract, they vomit, and are purged, the breathing 
becomes frequent, and there is marked dyspnoea. At a later stage the 
respirations are slower, and there are convulsions, and death. 
The alkaloid has also been tried on man. Doses of from 3 to 5 
mgrms., injected subcutaneously, cause, after a few minutes’ profuse 
salivation, increased frequency of the pulse, nausea, giddiness, confusion 
of thought and myosis, but no vomiting, and no diarrhoea. Small 
quantities applied to the eye cause, after a few minutes, a derangement 
of the accommodation, but no change in the size, of the pupil; larger 
quantities cause also myosis, which depends upon an excitement of the 
sphincter iridis, or of the oculo-motorius. 
§ 532. The actions of muscarine and atropine are to a great extent 
antagonistic. This is especially and beautifully demonstrated by the 
effects of the two substances on the frog’s heart. The action of muscarine 
upon the heart is to excite the inhibitory nerve apparatus, while the 
action of atropine is to paralyse the same system. One mgrm. of mus¬ 
carine, injected subcutaneously into a frog, arrests the heart in diastole , 
but if a suitable dose of atropine is applied to the heart thus arrested, 
it begins to beat again ; or, if atropine is first given, and then muscarine, 
the heart does not stop. The muscarine heart, when it has ceased to 
beat, may be successfully stimulated by galvanism. Muscarine at first 
excites the respiratory centre, and then paralyses it. 
§ 533. Detection of Muscarine in the Body. —Muscarine itself is 
not likely to be taken as a poison or administered ; but if it is sought 
for in the fly-blown agaric, or in the tissues or organs of persons who 
have been poisoned by the fungus, the process of Brieger appears the 
best. The process depends upon the fact that muscarine gives a soluble 
