432 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
becomes uneasy, tries to walk about, its muscular movements are 
retarded, abrupt, and intermittent, and you have contractions of 
the muscles of the extremities. The pupil is not dilated, the 
general sensibility is increased, and if you touch the animal, or 
expose it suddenly to a bri .-ht light, or if a sudden noise is heard, 
immediately the abrupt spasms present themselves. The respi¬ 
ration remains regular, although it is interrupted from time to 
time by the spasms ; the pulse and the beating of the heart is 
accelerated; the digestive and excretory organs do not show any¬ 
thing remarkable ; the animal retains his intelligence, sees, hears, 
and obeys. In small doses, these effects soon pass away. If the 
dose is large, the same symptoms manifest themselves, but they 
are more intense and of longer duration. Its toxical effects show 
themselves rapidly on the muscles of the entire body, especially 
on the extensors. The contractions, while they last, are very 
intense, and are succeeded by a period of rest, to be followed in 
its turn by a contraction more prolonged than the first; then a 
new rest occurs, during which the animal seems surprised, but 
this is of short duration. 
“ The continued spasms are followed by violent tetanic con¬ 
tractions of the masseter muscles; the eyes move in their sockets, 
and the pupil dilates. Tou cannot touch the animal, or make 
the least noise, without exciting the convulsive movements, which 
are best likened to the effect of an electric battery applied to the 
motor nerves. The respiration is irregular, accelerated, and in¬ 
termittent; the conjunctiva, the mucous membranes of the nares, 
buccal cavity, and white parts of the integument, take on a violet 
hue. The intervals of remission are very short; several attacks 
follow each other quickly, when soon rigor becomes general, the 
thorax remains immovable, respiration ceases, and the animal dies 
from asphyxia. Death takes place after the third, fourth, or fifth 
tetanic spasm, and generally in seven or eight minutes after the 
manifestation of the first attack.” The post mortem appearances, 
according to the same authority, are: “ Strychnia never leaves 
any traces of its having touched the intestinal mucous membrane. 
The other lesions are similar to those consequent upon death from 
asphyxia, no matter in what way the strychnia has been intro¬ 
duced into the system.” 
