580  Chemical  Examination  of  Nutmeg.  {ADeceXerPi908m' 
may  be  due  to  its  being  only  imperfectly  absorbed  when  given  in  a 
pure  state,  and  passing  out  to  a  large  extent  in  the  faeces.  A  small 
dose  of  myristicin  might,  therefore,  be  expected  to  be  effective  if 
injected  hypodermically,  for  although  the  absorption  of  such  a 
substance  from  the  subcutaneous  tissue  would  be  very  slow,  none 
at  least  would  leave  the  body  without  passing  through  the  circula- 
tion. It  was  found,  in  fact,  that  a  dose  of  2  minims  (about  0.12  c.c.) 
of  myristicin,  when  injected  hypodermically  into  a  cat,  produced 
a  very  slow,  but  ultimately  extensive  degeneration  of  the  liver,  the 
latter  effect  being  manifested  during  life  by  wasting  and  jaundice. 
This  slow  degeneration  is  what  might  be  expected  when  a  substance 
so  sparingly  soluble  as  myristicin  has  to  be  absorbed  from  the  con- 
nective-tissue spaces. 
The  other  products  from  nutmeg  which  were  subjected  to  physio- 
logical tests  comprised  the  following: 
1.  A  viscid  substance,  boiling  at  270-2800  C.  under  15  mm. 
pressure,  and  agreeing  in  composition  with  the  formula  C1SH2205, 
which  was  separated  from  the  unsaponifiable  constituents  of  the 
expressed  oil  of  nutmeg  (Joe.  cit). 
2.  The  resins  obtained  from  the  "  press-cake." 
3.  The  aqueous  liquid  obtained,  as  described  in  this  paper,  from 
the  alcoholic  extract  of  the  "  press-cake,"  after  the  separation  of 
the  resins. 
The  viscid  substance  (1)  was  given  to  a  cat  in  doses  of  0.5  and  1.0 
gramme  respectively,  but  no  physiological  effect  could  be  observed. 
The  resins  (2)  and  the  aqueous  liquid  (3)  likewise  produced  no 
noticeable  effects  when  administered  in  amounts  corresponding  to 
many  times  the  toxic  dose  of  nutmeg.  All  these  products  must 
therefore  be  regarded  as  physiologically  inactive. 
With  consideration  of  the  results  above  described  there  would 
appear  to  be  no  doubt  that  the  narcotic  property  of  nutmeg  is  cor- 
rectly attributed  to  myristicin,  C^H^O^  and  it  may  be  assumed 
that  the  latter  substance  when  associated  with  the  other  constituents 
of  the  nutmeg  is  in  a  condition  much  more  favorable  for  absorption 
than  when  in  a  pure  state.  As  in  the  case  of  many  other  narcotics, 
the  lower  animals  are  much  less  sensitive  than  man  to  the  direct 
action  of  nutmeg  on  the  cerebral  functions. 
In  conclusion,  we  desire  to  express  our  best  thanks  to  Dr.  H.  H. 
Dale  for  having  conducted  the  large  number  of  physiological  experi- 
ments involved  in  this  investigation. 
