478 poisons : their effects and detection. [§§ 610 , 611 . 
minutes. Falck destroyed a young hound with -06 grm. (-92 grain) 
in 24 to 26 minutes. Given by subcutaneous or intravenous injection, 
it is, as might be expected, still more lethal and rapid in its effects. In 
an experiment of Falck’s, *03 grm. (-46 grain), injected into a vein, 
destroyed a strong hound within 20 minutes ; -016 grm. (-24 grain), 
injected under the skin, killed a guinea-pig in 22 minutes ; and -012 
grm. (-18 grain) a hare in 40 minutes. Hence it may be inferred that 
from 2 to 4 grains (12-9 to 19-4 centigrms.) would, in all probability, be 
a dangerous dose for an adult person. 
§ 610. Effects on Animals. —The toxic action of picrotoxin on fish 
and frogs has been proposed as a test. The symptoms observed in fish 
are mainly as follows :—The fish, according to the dose, show uncertain 
motions of the body, lose their balance, and finally float to the surface, 
lying on one side, with frequent opening of the mouth and gill-covers. 
These symptoms are, however, in no way distinguishable from those 
induced by any poisonous substance in the water, or by many diseases 
to which fish are liable. Nevertheless, it may be conceded that in 
certain cases the test may be valuable—if, e.g., beer be the matter of 
research, none of the methods used for the extraction of picrotoxin 
will be likely to extract any other substance having the poisonous action 
described on fish, so that, as a confirmatory test, this may be of use. 
Frogs, under the influence of picrotoxin, become first uneasy and 
restless, and then somewhat somnolent ; but after a short time tetanic 
convulsions set in, which might lead the inexperienced to imagine that 
the animal was poisoned by strychnine. There is, however, one marked 
distinction between the two—viz. that in picrotoxin poisoning an 
extraordinary swelling of the abdomen has been observed, a symptom 
which, so far as known, is due to picrotoxin alone. The frog is therefore, 
in this instance, the most suitable object for physiological tests. 
Beer extract containing picrotoxin is fatal to flies ; but no definite 
conclusion can be drawn from this, since many bitter principles (notably 
quassia) are in a similar manner fatal to insect life. 
§ 611. Effects on Man. —Only two fatal cases of poisoning by picro¬ 
toxin are on record. In 1829 several men suffered from drinking rum 
which had been impregnated with Cocculus indicus ; one died, the rest 
recovered. In the second case, a boy, aged 12, swallowed some of a 
composition which was used for poisoning fish, the active principle of 
which was Cocculus indicus ; in a few minutes the boy experienced a 
burning taste, he had pains in the gullet and stomach, with frequent 
vomiting, and diarrhoea. A violent attack of gastro-enteritis supervened, 
with fever and delirium ; he died on the nineteenth day. The post¬ 
mortem signs were those usual in peritonitis : the stomach was dis¬ 
coloured and its coats thinner and softer than was natural ; there were 
also other changes, but it is obvious that, as the death took place so long 
