PREPARATIONS    OP  CONIUM,  ETC.  365 
siderably  excited  by  the  sudden  accesion  of  the  foregoing  symptoms, 
was  now  sixty-eight  and  quite  regular.  The  sensation  of  nausea 
soon  passed  off,  but  the  diminution  of  muscular  power  increased, 
and  I  felt  that  if  this  continued,  my  legs  would  soon  be  unequal 
to  support  me.  I  could  still  go  up  stairs  awkardly,  but  the  legs 
felt  strangely  light  and  powerless.  The  weakness  was  especially 
felt  in  the  hamstring  muscles.  The  mind  remained  perfectly 
clear  and  calm  and  the  brain  active,  while  the  body  seemed  heavy 
and  well-nigh  asleep.  There  was,  in  fact,  a  direct  diminution  of 
power  in  all  the  voluntary  muscles,  almost  amounting  to  paralysis  ; 
and  of  all  the  motor-nerves,  the  third  was  the  earliest  and  most 
deeply  implicated.  The  greatest  exertion  was  at  one  time  required 
to  elevate  the  eyelids. 
At  1.30  P.  M. :  pulse  fifty-six;  beginning  to  feel  warmer; 
pupils  less  dilated ;  the  heaviness  of  the  eyelids  and  the  voluntary 
giddiness  diminishing  ;  muscular  power  returning. 
At  2.30  P.  M. :  all  the  symptoms  had  passed  off.  As  in  pre- 
vious experiments,  I  totally  abstained  from  all  kinds  of  stimu- 
lants during  the  action  of  the  medicine.  At  this  time  the  urine 
was  alkaline,  from  the  effects  of  a  dose  of  potash  taken  at  8.30 
A.  M.  After  luncheon  I  wrote  letters  till  4  P.  M.  and  then 
walked  briskly  a  distance  of  three  miles.  I  abstained  from 
stimulants  all  day,  and  finished  the  day's  work  by  drawing  a 
microscopic  object. 
A  second  sample  of  the  Succus  was  obligingly  sent  to  me  by 
Messrs.  Allen  and  Hanburys.  Its  sp.  g.  was  1015,  the  greater 
density  being  chiefly,  if  not  altogether,  due  to  the  larger  propor- 
tion of  albumen  and  sugar.  In  all  other  respects  the  Succus 
corresponded  with  that  already  described. 
Dec.  24. — N.  P.,  a  young  woman  of  average  health  and 
strength,  took  f^j.  Excepting  a  slight  feeling  of  nausea,  no 
effect  followed. 
Dec.  28. — She  took  fsj  and  lr^xl  of  the  Succus.  No  effect 
followed. 
Dec.  28. — She  took  fgiij.  Within  half  an  hour  she  became 
giddy  and  tottering.  The  muscular  weakness  increased,  and 
during  the  next  half-hour  she  was  hardly  able  to  walk.  At  the 
end  of  an  hour  the  symptoms  began  to  subside,  and  two  hours 
