oSoberi9?o^''"' }  Action  of  Adonis  Vernalis.  703 
galenical  adonis  extracts  with  digitalis  and  the  other  cardiac  stim- 
ulants, both  as  to  strength  and  to  action. 
THK  ACTION  OF  ADONIS  UPON  THK  frog's  HEART. 
Frogs,  of  the  type  Rana  Pipiens,  which  have  received  toxic  doses 
of  adonis,  show  but  slight  irritation.  Their  attitude  is  rather  one 
of  depression  until  shortly  before  their  heart  stops  beating,  when 
they  show  evidence  of  some  discomfort.  The  ability  to  control 
voluntary  movements,  however,  often  remains  after  the  heart  has 
stopped,  for  having  been  injected  with  a  toxic  dose  of  adonis,  the 
frog  may  hop  about  normally,  and  make  every  effort  to  avoid  being 
caught ;  but  after  pithing  and  opening  its  thorax,  it  will  have  a  heart 
which  is  stopped  in  permanent  systole.  This  would  tend  to  show 
that  the  drug  acts  more  upon  the  heart  than  upon  the  central  nervous 
system  in  general. 
The  following  table  is  a  typical  chart  of  a  frog's  heart  poisoned  with 
adonis. 
18  gm,  frog,  brain  pithed  and  heart  exposed. 
Time.         Rate  of  beat  Remarks. 
per  mmute. 
1:49 
33 
1:51 
1:54 
33 
1:55 
31 
1:58 
29 
2  :oo 
23 
2:03 
22 
2:05 
20 
2:10 
2:12 
2  cc.  of  adonis  injected  into  the  lymph  sac  of 
of  the  leg. 
The  ventricle  is  paler   and  contracts  more 
strongly. 
Auricles  and  ventricles  beating  strongly  and 
in  unison. 
This  is  the  rate  of  both  auricles  and  ventri- 
cles. 
Ventricles  have  stopped,  this  is  auricular  rate. 
Auricles  are  still  beating,  though  irregularly,  the 
ventricle  is  contracted  firmly  and  does  not 
beat. 
The  auricle  has  stopped  beating  and  is  widely 
dilated.  The  ventricle  is  small  and 
pale  in  color. 
Although  the  systolic  effect  of  the  drug  is  evident  from  careful  ex- 
amination during  several  autopsies,  it  is  demonstrated  in  the  tracings 
as  i-C,  by  the  increased  distance  between  the  mark  of  the  lever 
and  the  base  line.    In  many  instances  there  is  some  increase  in 
