Emetinum

Volume IV — Appendix

EMETINUM.

(See vol. iii, p. 17.)

I. 4. One of us swallowed 2 gr. of £. upon an empty stomach. In j h. he felt sick, and vomited several times, followed by marked in* clination to sleep. Several students submitted to these trials, and were affected in the same way. (Macekdie and PEtLETiER, Sur fJjKcac^

p. 7)

III. 4. Dr. FouLKRAD, as the result of his researches on the action

of E., sums up as follows :

a. Applied locally, £. causes progressive diminution of the functional power of the nerves and striated muscles. If the conuct is prolonged, the tissues do not recover their properties. Applied directly to the substance of the brain and spinal cord, no manifest action ti induced.

b. The reduction of arterial pressure, observed as a consequence of an injection of E,, is due to a direct action of the drug on the heart— that is, to cardiac paralysis.

c. The movements of the heart are at first accelerated and then retarded by the action of £. — the slowing being due to cardiac paralyii*.

</. E. paralyses the moderator-fibres of the heart in the pneumogastrics.

/. The torpor and coma produced by E. are due to an actioaon the brain.

/, Its convulsions are spinal in origin, and its diminution of rtflcs activity is also due to an action on the cord.

g. The vomiting occasioned by E. depends on a local action 00 the stomach,

h. E. causes retardation of the respiratory movements, which t»ka place even after section of the vagi.

/'. The voluntary muscles remain unaltered in poisoning by £.

j, E. IS absorbed and eliminated as such by the kidneys; a pofiioo also is eliminated by the gastro-intestinal mucous membrane.

i. The salivation provoked by £. is due to its action on the nenO of the mouth.

/. Its introduction by the stomach, subcutaneously, or by injection into the veins is followed by albuminuria.

m. Glucose is found in the liver after poisoning by it. {PkU. MM. Tmts, Aug. 31, 1878.)