The Edinburgh journal of natural and geographical science.

Date:
1829-
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Edinburgh journal of natural and geographical science. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    Exp. 2.—One grain of the alcoholic extract was introduced into the peritoneal sac of a small rabbit. In two minutes the posterior extremities were weakened : in three minutes, the breathing be- came difficult, and of a peculiar gasping kind: in three minutes and a half, the head was drawn back: in live minutes the animal was slightly convulsed, and fell on his side : in six minutes convulsed, and made ineffectual attempts to rise : the breathing Avas very la- borious. At the end of eight minutes the posterior extremities, when pricked, gave no evidence of possessing sensation: In nine minutes general convulsions came on, and at nine minutes and a half the animal was apparently dead. At this time the pupils were much dilated, but in three minutes after began to contract. Galvanism.—Six minutes after death the voluntary muscles were susceptible of galvanism ; but this susceptibility soon ceased. Con- tractions were excited in both auricles of his heart, and the right auricle repeated its contractions after the poles of the battery were removed. The effect of galvanism on the muscular fibres of the ventricles was doubtful. I thought that I perceived slight contrac- tions, but they were not noticed by others. Dissection.—Right side of the heart distended with dark-colour- ed blood; left side empty. Lungs florid red. Pulmonary arteries distended. Remarks.—The first and prominent symptoms here, were the weakness of the posterior extremities and the difficulty of breatliing. On feeling the chest, it appeared to me as if spasm of the diaphragm came on at each inspiration. The dra^ving back of the head did not appear to be altogether involuntary, but as if it were to fix the head, and thereby assist the breathing. The con\Tilsions in this and the other experiments, were very different to those produced by strychnine : in the former cases they were quite temporary, whereas those produced by strychnine last for several seconds. Exp. 3.—One grain of the spirituous extract (a little drier than in the last experiment) was introduced into the subcutaneous cel- lular tissue of the left lumbar region of a rabbit. Immediately after the experiment, the animal continued to eat, but at the end of six minutes refused to do so. At seven minutes the faeces Avere eva- cuated : at eight minutes grinding of the teeth; head dra^vn back ; u little saliva flowed from the mouth. In nine minutes the move- ments of the animal became unsteady ; and at nine minutes and a half he became unable to support himself; convulsions. In ten minutes the posterior extremities were insensible : in eleven mi- nutes the convulsions became much more active, particularly in the posterior extremities ; repeated faint cries. At thirteen minutes the animal was lying on its left side, and was free from convulsions. At fourteen minutes violent action in the abdominal muscles: four- teen minutes and a half, convulsions in the posterior extremities : urine passed: pupils much dilated. At the expiration of fifteen
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