Notes on poisons : notes from Kolliker's "Physiological researches on the action of some poisons" published in Virchow's Archiv. &c. Vol. X, 1856.

  • Thomson, Allen, 1809-1884.
Date:
[1857?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Notes on poisons : notes from Kolliker's "Physiological researches on the action of some poisons" published in Virchow's Archiv. &c. Vol. X, 1856. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    heart, llie sympathetic in its relation to the iris, the nerves of the posterior lymphatic hearts, the vaso-motor nerves of the web of the frog’s foot, tlie splanchnici in their action upon the peristaltic motion, and tlie nerves influ- encing tlie secretion of the submaxillary gland. 8. The voluntary muscles retain in poisoning by woorara their full irritability, but show a greater tendency to merely local contractions. In general, the rigor mortis appears later in these muscles than usual. 9. Tho non-striated muscles also remain irritable long after poisoning by woorara. 10. The heart in amphibia is little affected by woorara, and its contractions and the circulation continue regularly many hours after poisoning. It is only to be remarked, that the number of the heart’s beats is somewhat increased, in consequence of the paralysis of the vagi. Hearts which have been divided in a poisoned frog, show the same phenomena as in one not poisoned, viz., that the part containing the ganglia continues to contract, while the other ceases, which leads to the conclusion that these ganglia are not paralysed. As regards the nerves within the heart, indubitably the ramifications of the vagus are paralysed, and it is not improbable that tho sympathetic ramifications, as also the fibres arising from its ganglia, are similarly affected. 11. The lymphatic hearts of the frog remain still contractile for a short time after woorara poisoning. 12. The blood of anim.als po’soned with woorara, is fluid and dark; yet it coagulates readily when out of the vessels, and forms a soft coaguluin, which only reddens slightly in the air. Woorara mixed directly with blood does not hinder its coagulation; but the blood is dark and scarcely reddens in the air. 14. Woorara solutions, when more concentrated, paralyse the nerves when locally applied ; but yet, only very slowly, and they appear also to act upon the nerves within the muscles. Dilute solutions, on the contrary, have no hurtful effect. Applied to the brain and spinal marrow directly, woorara is quite inno- cuous when absorption is prevented. _ • ^ • j 15. When in mammalia, poisoned by woorara, the circulation is well maintained by artificial respiration, a number of secretions are more or less obviously increased (llcrnard, Kblliker), an effect which m.ay be due to the paralysis of the nerves, and the consequent dilatation of the vessels. , . r .u 16. In mammalia, death from woorara is the effect of the paralysis of the respiratory nerves, and the consequent cessation of the respiration, which in these animals causes convulsions as an after exmeomitant effect. In frogs, t le ultimate cessation of the functions is also perhaps the effect of the suspension of respiration, and of the defective oxidation of the blood, which render the heart incapable of further action; but in these animals, the cause of death is by no means so clear, from the functions being in a great degree independent of the As anTliustratiiin of tho manner in which these very remarkable and conclu- sive experiments were performed, we give the following: Theartery and vein of one of the thighs having been secured by lipture, ami divided beyond the ligature, the sciatic nerve was from among tho muscles of the thigh, and then the whole soft f J and tho bone were divided, so as to leave the limb connected ^ the nerve alone. Some woorara poison was then introduced below the skin ot the back and in about three minutes affected tho animal with stupefaction. I now appeared that the motor nerves of the three limbs kft trunk had been paralysed, while their muscles retained their sensory or afferent nerves retained their power. There was following remarkable result, viz., that pinching the skin of ^ (tho separated limb as well), produced no reflex ’ C „ W S in tho iLlated limb, and in that one they were excited actively. f sure of the muscles, it appeared that in all parts of the body forth muscular contractions, and the heart continued to /• , j . elusion was then, 1st, That the motor nerves alone were affected with paralys ,