The non-bacillar nature of abrus-poison : with observations on its chemical and physiological properties / by C.J.H. Warden and L.A. Waddell.

Date:
1884
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The non-bacillar nature of abrus-poison : with observations on its chemical and physiological properties / by C.J.H. Warden and L.A. Waddell. 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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    In the above experiments with the infusion death occurred in 11 hours and 12| hours respectively—a space of time much too short to be attributed to baoterial infection; for in bacterial diseases the multiplication of the morbific organisms cannot take place so suddenly. Infective diseases have never been kuown to prove fatal within a less period than 17£ hours. (Koch.) To find the precise amount of seed which produces death, and the effect of varying doses, the powdered seeds were rubbed up with a few drops of distilled water in an agate mortar, as it was found by Exps. XI and XII that the solid residue left after filtration of the infusion still retained a high activity ; and this is the condition in which the seed is used for poisoning cattle. Exps. XIII—XX.—The results of these experiments are summarized in the following table :— Table showing effects on Chickens of injection of Abrus-seed in varying quantities. ■ Number of ex- periment. Amount of seed injected. Died or not. Time in which deat li occurred. XIII i 90 gr- No. XIV i 6 o' »» XV X s 0 )» Died. 16 days. XVI i I 0 99 Ij 7 91 XVII 1 4 99 it 42 hours. XVIII 1 3 99 si. 23 if XIX 1 9 99 j» 17 II XX 2 grs. >> 13 li The powdered seeds were administered in a like manner to the following three cats:— Exp. XXI.—Injected hypodermically into a medium-sized male cat ^ grain of powdered seed rubbed up with 10 minims of distilled water. Death occurred in 19l hours. Acute abrus-poisoning is singularly free Symptoms of abrus- from striking symptoms. The animal becomes poisoning. gradually exhausted, and dies quietly without con- vulsions. At first it seems unaffected, and may even eat little food, but after a few hours it becomes languid and disinclined to move. The eyes become dull and watery, and the conjunctivae slightly inflamed: the excessive flow of tears form wet tracts on either side of nose. The flow of saliva is somewhat increased. It ceases to eat. Latterly, it crouches down, evidently through loss of power to support body. On being disturbed, it lifts its head in a one-sided sort of way, and the head shakes and is unsteady. Shortly before death it passes a few blood-stained
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