176 
PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTES. 
abated  to  some  extent,  the  flexor  muscles  were  thrown  into  a  state  of 
tonic  contraction,  the  back  was  arched  upwards  and  the  tail  drawn  tight- 
ly down  and  close  under  his  belly.  The  hind  legs  were  thrown  forward, 
while  the  fore  legs  were  set  backward,  so  that  the  points  of  support  were 
changed,  the  hind  feet  being  in  front  of  the  fore  feet.  His  head  was 
flexed  on  his  neck  in  such  a  manner  as  to  direct  the  eyes  downwards. 
This  posture  was  maintained  so  long  as  he  remained  quiet,  half  sitting 
and  half  leaning  against  the  wall,  the  only  position  in  which  he  seemed 
at  all  comfortable. 
When  he  would  start  to  go  across  the  room,  for  he  never  was  quiet  but 
for  a  moment,  he  would,  as  if  by  a  strong  effort,  draw  up  his  head  and 
straighten  out  his  legs  and  start  off  in  a  quite  lively  manner,  but  before 
he  would  proceed  far  the  muscles  would  again  contract,  his  head  be 
drawn,  and  he  would  bring  up  against  the  side  of  the  room,  a  table  leg 
or  other  obstacle  with  force  enough  to  throw  him  down.  After  resting  a 
moment  he  would  make  another  attempt,  but  with  no  better  success. 
He  did  not  seem  inclined  to  lie  down,  indeed  he  acted  as  if  unable  to  do 
so.  He  would  sometimes  sit  down,  not  in  the  usual  manner,  but  with  his 
hind  legs  projecting  out  in  front  of  his  face  and  his  weight  resting  on  the 
lower  portion  of  his  back. 
These  effects  continued  until  5  hours  and  45  minutes  after  taking  the 
poison,  when  he  laid  down  and  seemed  disposed  to  sleep,  whether  from 
exhaustion  or  the  effects  of  the  dose  I  cannot  say. 
During  all  this  time  there  was  not  a  whine  or  a  groan  to  indicate  that 
he  suffered  pain,  and  the  breathing  appeared  to  be  perfectly  natural. 
I  left  him,  trusting  that  he  would  sleep  and  that  I  should  find  him 
much  better  in  the  morning,  but  he  died  during  the  night.  Autopsy,  12 
hours  after  taking  the  poison,  showed  no  lesion  whatever.  The  brain, 
lungs,  stomach,  intestines  and  mucous  surfaces  appeared  in  a  perfectly 
normal  condition. 
I  next  tried  the  alcoholic  extract  upon  a  full  grown  young  rabbit, 
placing  l-16th  of  a  grain  of  it  under  the  skin.  In  10  minutes  there  was 
an  evacuation  of  the  bowels,  also  twitching  of  the  muscles  of  the  face, 
and  a  kind  of  munching  motion  of  the  lips.  In  15  minutes  there  was  a 
general  tremor  of  the  whole  body,  as  if  it  felt  cold.  In  20  minutes  it 
manifested  great  prostration,  and  could  not  stand  quietly,  but  would 
squat  down,  as  if  dizzy,  when  it  attempted  to  move.  At  the  end  of  25 
minutes  the  heart  beat  very  rapidly  and  irregularly,  the  breathing  was  very 
quick,  being  about  80  times  in  a  minute,  while  lying  flat  upon  the  table. 
In  30  minutes  the  contents  of  the  bladder  was  evacuated,  and  efforts 
were  made  as  if  to  vomit.  The  eyes  remained  wide  open,  and  the  ears 
pointing  forward.  He  twice  made  a  peeping  noise  as  if  in  pain,  and  got 
up  and  staggered  across  the  table.  When  35  minutes  had  elapsed  after 
the  exhibition  of  the  dose,  the  animal  seemed  to  improve  j  the  breathing 
was  less  frequent  and  he  could  sit  up.   The  action  of  the  heart  and  lungs 
