"^^^  Ma'J'^'SS"'''}  Oil  of  Ranunculus,  Anemonin  and  Cardol.  131 
redness  of  the  skin,  with  subsequent  vesication,  at  another  time  merely 
redden  the  skin,  or  be  without  any  effect. 
2.  Anemonin  may  be  isolated  from  acid  solutions  by  agitation  with 
benzol,  but  not  from  an  alkaline  solution. 
3.  Therefore  anemonin  cannot,  by  Radecki's  process,  be  mistaken 
for  cantharidin. 
4.  Notwithstanding  its  insolubility  in  water,  anemonin  is  absorbed 
from  the  stomach  as  well  as  from  the  subcuticular  tissue ;  it  acts  as  a 
narcotic,  lessening  the  respiration  and,  according  to  Clarus,  also  the 
pulse,  and  producing  stupor,  coma  and  paralysis  of  the  extremities. 
Death  is  produced  without  convulsions,  probably  by  paralysis  of  the 
heart  and  lungs.  It  has  no  irritating  action  upon  the  stomach,  intes- 
tines and  kidneys.  The  autopsy  shows  congestion  of  the  right  heart 
and  large  veins,  and,  according  to  Clarus,  the  membranes  of  the  brain 
-are  hypersemic. 
5.  After  poisoning  by  anemonin,  the  presence  of  this  compound  is 
best  proven  in  the  contents  of  the  stomach,  in  the  small  intestines,  and 
particularly  in  the  urine.  The  chemical  reactions  of  this  poison  are 
uncertain,  and  may  be  supplemented  by  the  physiological  action  on 
small  frogs,  but  even  this  is  of  limited  importance. 
6.  The  excretion  of  anemonin,  like  that  of  cantharidin,  appears  to 
take  place  mainly  through  the  kidneys. 
For  the  experiments  with  cardol  the  etherial  extracts  of  the  pericarp 
of  both  the  West  Indian  and  East  Indian  cashew  nuts  were  applied.  * 
0*09  gram  of  the  former  applied  to  the  breast  upon  a  piece  of  lint  1 
centimeter  square  in  14  hours  raised  a  blister,  with  watery  contents, 
changing  within  a  day  to  a  pus-like  liquid,  and  healing*  after  forming 
a  scab.  O'll  gram  of  the  brown-black  oil  of  the  oriental  cashew  nut 
applied  as  before  raised  within  12  hours  a  black  blister;  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  eczematous  vesicles  appeared  on  the  breast  and  extended 
during  the  following  four  days  gradually  to  the  armpit,  abdomen, 
penis,  face,  hands  and  forearm.  The  treatment  consisted  in  evacuating 
the  bowels,  applications  of  lead-water  to  the  eyes  and  of  carbolic  oil  to 
the  eruption  ;  chloral  hydrate  and  morphine  were  given.  On  the  sixth 
day  scabs  began  to  form  on  the  breast  and  forehead ;  micturition  pain- 
ful, urine  red-brown  :  stools  bloody,  very  painful.  On  the  eighth  day 
micturition  and  stools  painless.  On  the  ninth  day,  September  6,  scabs 
began  to  form  in  the  face.    The  desquamation  of  all  affected  parts  was 
