EXPERIMENTS ON THE INFLUENCE OF SNAICE-POISON. 
93 
becoming more marked. 4.17.—Injected forty drops more 
into the jugular vein; staggers, convulsed, and falls prone with 
the legs spread out. 4.20.—General paralysis; pupils widely 
dilated; tries to vomit; twitching of muscles. 4.22.—Twitch¬ 
ing of all the muscles. 4.23.—Gasping ; completely paralysed. 
4.24.—Catching respiration; involuntary micturition. 4.25.— 
Dead. 
On the Influence of Liquor Ammonice Hypodermically Injected. 
I am indebted to Mr. Richards, Civil Surgeon of Bancoorah, 
for the following experiments on the effects of liquor ammonise 
hypodermically injected into the areolar tissue, and into the 
veins; also on its action, when so administered, in Cobra 
poisoning. 
The experiments were performed with the greatest care, and 
the same scrupulous attention to details that have made Mr. 
Richards’s other observations on snake-poisoning so valuable. 
They show that whatever therapeutic action it may have, liquor 
ammonite may be injected either into the tissues or veins 
without direct danger to life. As an antidote to Cobra poison¬ 
ing, it does not from these experiments appear to produce any 
good effects. 
In the first experiment ten drops of liquor ammonite, with 
an equal quantity of water, were hypodermically injected. The 
man was kept in the recumbent posture, and during observa¬ 
tions continued from 4.8 p.m. to 5.38 p.m. no change was ob¬ 
served in the axillary temperature, the number of respirations, 
or the pulse. The only results noticed were that the pulse, 
which was eighty at 3.57 p.m. before the injection, fell after it 
to sixty-four at 4.16 p.m. — i.e., eight minutes after the injection, 
and continued subsequently throughout the observations at sixty. 
In the second experiment twenty drops of liquor ammonise, 
mixed with twenty drops of water, were injected into another 
man’s arm. The man was kept in the recumbent posture, and 
the observations were continued from 9.40 a.m. to 11.32 a.m. ; 
at 9.16 a.m., twenty-four minutes before the injection, his tem¬ 
perature was 97°'50, respirations 21, pulse 64. At 10 a.m., 
twenty minutes after the injection, temperature was 96°'90, 
respirations 21, pulse 60. The temperature gradually rose, and 
at 11.32 was 97°’50, respirations 33, pulse remaining at 60. 
The temperature and the number of respirations were both gra¬ 
dually augmented, whilst the pulse was unaffected throughout. 
In the third experiment thirty drops of liquor ammonise, 
with an ounce and a half of water, were administered by the 
mouth, at 9.14 a.m. Before taking the ammonia, and whilst 
in a sitting posture, the temperature in axilla was 97°‘90, 
respirations 16, pulse 60; at 10 a.m., forty-six minutes after 
taking the ammonia, the respirations were 16, the pulse 60. 
The observations were continued at intervals, after 11.26 a.m., 
during which time the thermometer stood at 97°'90, having 
been at 10.42 a.m. 98 o, 30. The respirations rose to 28, the 
pulse remaining at 60 throughout, of the same force. The 
effect of the ammonia administered by mouth was very much 
the same as of that administered by hypodermic injection. 
In the fourth experiment fifteen drops of liquor ammonia?, 
with twenty-five of water, were injected into the arm at 4.25 p.m. 
Primarily the temperature was 99°, pulse 76, respirations 18. 
By 5.45 p.m. the pulse had declined to 68, the respirations 
had continued at 18, the axillary temperature had fallen to 
98°'60. 
In the fifth experiment a healthy man, aged thirty, had two 
ounces of brandy with hot water administered ; the pulse being 
78, respirations 30, temperature 98 0, 55, at 3.58 p.m. The pulse 
at first rose to 82, temperature 98 o, 80, respirations 33. At 
5.27 p.m. the temperature had risen to 99°'70, the respirations 
had fallen to 28, pulse 74, weaker. 
In the sixth experiment fifteen drops of liquor ammonias, 
with twenty-five of water, were injected hypodermically at 
2.55 p.m., the axillary temperature being 99°, respirations 22, 
pulse 68. At 3 p.m. two ounces of brandy with water were 
administered by mouth. At 3.9 p.m. temperature was 99 o- 40, 
respirations 25, pulse 74, full. At 3.41 p.m. temperature was 
99 o- 20, respirations 24, pulse 64, weak; the respiration and 
pulse had both declined. Some brandy was given at 3.50 p.m. 
The temperature rose again temporarily to 99°‘50, and by 4.50 
had again fallen to 99°, the respirations had risen to 30, the 
pulse 76. 
Such were the results of’ a series of experiments most care¬ 
fully carried out by Mr. Richards; they are appended in 
detail, with his remarks. The inference is that any benefit 
derived from these stimulants could only be kept up by re¬ 
peated doses, which apparently might be administered without 
danger. 
Experiments on the Hypodermic Injection of Ammonia in the 
Human Subject by Mr. Richards. 
Mr dear Dr. Fayrer, —I have the pleasure to forward the 
results of my first experiments with the liquor ammonite. 
The men operated on were healthy and of the Bowri caste 
(palkee wallahs). I can vouch for the accuracy of the obser¬ 
vations, as they were carefully noted by myself. 
December 11th, 3.28 p.m. A man, aged thirty years, was 
placed on a couch in a horizontal position, and one of Dr. 
Aitkin’s curved thermometers was put into axilla. 
3.36 p.m. Thermometer 99° 
3.40 „ „ 99°-40 
3-57 „ „ 99°‘50, respirations 20, pulse SO. 
4.8 p.m. Ten drops of liquor ammonia?, with ten drops of 
water, were hypodermically injected on the outer side of the 
left arm, near the insertion of the deltoid muscle. 
4.16 p.m. Thermometer 99°’70, respirations 20, pulse 64. 
60. 
60. 
60. 
60 . 
60. 
60. 
4.30 „ „ 99°-60 „ 20 
4-38 „ „ 99°-40 „ 20 
4- 44 „ „ 99°40 „ 20 
5 » „ 99°-40 „ 20 
5.21 „ „ 99°-90 „ 20 
5- 38 „ „ 99°-0 „ 20 
During the whole time the man remained perfectly quiet in 
the horizontal position. No difference in the force of the pulse 
was perceptible. The temperature of the room was 74°. The 
thermometer was kept in the axilla the whole time. 
December 12th, 9.1 a.m. Another man, aged twenty-seven 
years, was placed on a couch in a horizontal posture, in which 
position he remained during the time the observations were 
made; a thermometer was placed in the axilla. 
9.16 a.m. Thermometer 97°'50, respirations 21, pulse 64. 
9.40 a.m. Twenty drops of liquor ammonise, with twenty 
drops of water, hypodermically injected. 
10 a.m. Thermometer 96°'90, respirations 21, pulse 60. 
10.17 
10.50 
11 
11.32 
97°-20 
97°-50 
97°-50 
97°-50 
25 
28 
30 
33 
60. 
60. 
60. 
60. 
Temperature of the room 70°. 
The respiratory movements were greatly augmented, while 
there was no alteration in the number or force of the pulse 
At 9 a.m. a straight self-registering thermometer was placed in 
the axilla of a healthy man, aged thirty. He remained in a 
semi-erect position until 9.11 a.m., when the thermometer was 
97°‘90, respirations 16, and pulse 60. At 9.14 a.m. thirty 
drops of liquor ammonise in an ounce and a half of water were 
administered by the mouth, and the thermometer (the index of 
which had been previously reset) again put into the axilla. 
10 a.m. Respirations 16, pulse 60. 
40.35 „ „ 22 „ 60. 
!0-42 „ „ 26 „ 60. 
