346 
THE   ESSENTIAL  OIL  OF  BITTER  ALMONDS. 
the  probable  effects  of  a  poison  on  the  human  subject.  He  had 
experimented  with  both  these  kinds  of  animals.  The  experi- 
ments on  dogs  were  five  in  number.  These  animals  got  respect- 
ively twenty-five  minims,  Zh  &h  and  two  of  them  ^iij  of  the  oil, 
and  in  no  instance  did  death  or  urgent  symptoms  of  any  kind 
occur.  Slight  vomiting  was  produced  by  the  3*j  and  giij  doses  ; 
but  the  escape  of  the  animais  could  not  be  ascribed  to  this,  be- 
cause in  one  after  a  dose,  vomiting  did  not  occur  for  twenty- 
five  minutes  ;  and  in  another  after  a  similar  quantity,  the  ani- 
mal, within  two  minutes  of  its  vomiting,  passed  urine,  smelling 
strongly  of  the  oil,  which  showed  that  it  had  been  absorbed  in 
the  circulation.  -It  was  remarkable,  that  in  some  of  these  expe- 
riments, in  which  the  animals  were  in  no  way  seriously  affected, 
the  sample  of  oil  furnished  to  him  actually  did  retain  some  hy- 
drocyanic acid ,  as  shown  by  the  iron  test.  It  was  satisfactory 
to  find  that  this  test  could  thus  detect  quantities  of  a  hydrocy- 
anic acid  too  small  to  produce  poisonous  effects. 
Dr.  Maclagan  then  related  his  series  of  experiments  on  rab- 
bits:— 
£j.  of  the  oil  not  entirely  free  from  hydrocyanic  acid  produ- 
ced no  effect  worthy  of  note  for  four  hours,  during  which  the  ani- 
mal was  under  observation.  The  rabbit  was  found  in  apparently 
perfect  health  next  morning,  and  fed  as  usual,  but  died  after 
thirty-nine  hours.  It  was  found  to  have  inflammation  of  both 
lungs. 
5]h  of  the  same  oil  were  given  to  another  rabbit ;  the  ani- 
mal fell  on  its  sides  in  eight  minutes,  with  complete  relaxation  of 
all  the  muscles,  and  died  in  sixteen  minutes,  without  further  ap- 
proach to  convulsions  than  some  twitching  of  the  muscles  of  the 
head  and  neck. 
of  another  sample  of  oil,  perfectly  free  from  hydrocyanic 
acid,  caused  the  animal  to  fall  on  its  side  in  ten  minutes,  and  it 
was  moribund  in  nineteen  minutes.  Dr.  Maclagan  being  desirous 
of  trying  the  effect  of  cold  affusion,  practised  it  on  this  rabbit. 
It  had  the  effect  of  temporarily  making  the  breathing  slower  and 
more  regular  ;  but  the  animal  died  fifty  minutes  after  taking  the 
oil. 
of  another  sample  of  oil  prepared  by  himself,  and  per- 
fectly free  from  prussic  acid,  were  given  to  a  strong  buck  rabbit. 
