286 
Pharmacological  Notes. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  18S9. 
a  high  crime  and  misdemeanor,  this  would  seem  to  be  an  instance 
where  the  substitution  of  hyoscin  hydrobromat  for  scopolamin 
hydrobromat,  or  vice  versa,  would  be  entirely  justified  by  the 
facts. 
PHARMACOLOGY  OF  ACONITINE. 
C.  R.  Marshall  in  the  Medical  Chronicle  for  May,  1898,  publishes 
an  interesting  abstract  of  a  valuable  paper  by  Cash  (J.'T.)  and  Dun- 
stan  (W.  R.)  appearing  in  abstract  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Royal 
Society,  Vol.  LXII,  on  the  pharmacology  of  aconitine  and  some  of 
its  derivatives,  considered  in  relation  to  their  chemical  constitution. 
tJ  The  substances  investigated  physiologically  were  aconine,  C^Hgg 
NO10;  benzaconine,  C24H38(Cr)H5CO)NO10 ;  acetyl-benzaconine  (acon- 
itine), C24H37(CH3CO)(CcH5CO)N01() ;  and  diacetyl-aconitine,  C24H35 
(CH3CO)3(C6H5CO)NO10.  In  all  cases  the  hydrobromide  of  the  al- 
kaloid was  used.  Their  effects  were  studied  on  (1)  the  blood-press- 
ure, pulse  and  respiration  of  anaesthetized  cats;  (2)  the  tempera- 
ture, respiration,  etc.,  of  rabbits  and  guinea-pigs;  (3)  the  circulation, 
reflexes,  cutaneous  sensibility,  etc.,  of  frogs,  and  (4)  their  lethal  doses 
on  various  animals.  As  an  example  of  the  last,  the  effects  on  cats 
will  suffice.  In  these  animals  the  toxic  doses  per  kilo  body-weight 
are  :  aconitine,  0*000134  gramme ;  diacetyl-aconitine,  0-004  gramme ; 
benzaconine,  00245  gramme;  aconine,  0-166 — 0.4  gramme. 
Introduced  into  the  circulation,  "  aconitine  at  first  stimulates  me- 
dullary centres,  slowing  the  heart ;  acceleration  follows,  auricles  and 
ventricles  taking  up  an  irregular  and  (at  one  stage  of  toxic  action) 
independent  rhythm.  Imperfect  systole  (especially  in  the  ventri- 
cles) develops.  Irritability  of  ventricular  wall  is  much  increased. 
Extensive  variations  of  blood-pressure  accompany  the  preceding 
phenomena.  After  great  ventricular  acceleration,  with  very  imper- 
fect systole,  delirium  of  the  ventricles  supervenes.  The  vagus 
(stimulated)  continues  to  restrain  speed  of  contraction  (especially 
acting  upon  the  auricle),  and  may  favor  closer  sequence  of  ventricu- 
lar upon  auricular  systole,  so  as  to  cause  a  rise  in  blood-pressure. 
For  the  same  reason,  during  a  stage  of  sequence,  it  may  cause  the 
usual  effect — fall  of  pressure.  In  slow  poisoning  the  cardiac  vagus, 
on  stimulation,  ceases  to  produce  any  effect. 
Diacetyl-aconitine  produces  similar  though  less  marked  effects. 
Benzaconine  causes  depression  of  the  cardiac  motor  apparatus, 
