One hour, again passed * * * followed by * * *; has eaten a little: one
hour and a half, appears quite to have recovered from his uneasiness, and
has become as lively as before. (This rabbit was made use of three days
afterwards for the third experiment.)
"2. A full-grown rabbit. Some of the poison being dissolved in water a
portion of the solution corresponding to about fifteen grains was injected
into an opening in the peritoneum, so large a quantity being used, in
consequence of the apparent absence of effect in the former case: five
minutes, he appears to be in pain, squeaking occasionally; slight
convulsive retractions of the head and neck begin to take place, passed a
small quantity of * *: ten minutes, the spasms are becoming more frequent,
but are neither violent nor prolonged, respiration scarcely perceptible;
he now fell on his side: twelve minutes, several severe general
convulsions came on, and at the end of another minute he was quite dead,
the pulsation being for the last minute quite imperceptible. The chest was
instantly opened, but there was no movement of the heart whatever.
"September 20th. 3. The rabbit used for the first experiment was taken and
an attempt was made to inject a little filtered solution into the jugular
rein, which failed from the large size of the nozzle of the syringe; a
good deal of blood was lost. A portion of the solution corresponding to
about two grains and a half of the poison was then injected into a small
opening made in the pleura. Nine minutes afterwards: symptoms precisely
resembling those in number two began to appear. Fourteen minutes:
convulsions more violent; fell on his side. Sixteen minutes, died.
"4. A portion of the poison, as much as could be applied, was smeared over
the square iron head of an arrow, and allowed to dry. The arrow was then
shot into the buttock of a goat with sufficient force to carry the head
out of sight; twenty minutes afterwards, no effect whatever having
followed, the arrow was extracted. The poison had become softened and was
wiped completely off two of the sides, and partly off the two other sides.
The animal appeared to suffer very little pain from the wound; he was kept
for a fortnight, and then died, but not apparently from any cause
connected with the wound. In fact he was previously diseased.
Unfortunately the seat of the wound was not then examined, but a few days
previously it appeared to have healed of itself. In the rabbit of the
former experiment, three days after the insertion of the poison in the
wound, the latter was closed with a dry coagulum and presented no marks of
inflammation around it.
"5. Two good-sized village dogs being secured, to each after several
hours' fasting, were given about five grains enveloped in meat. The
smaller one chewed it a long time, and frothed much at the mouth. He
appeared to swallow very little of it, but the larger one ate the whole up
without difficulty. After more than two hours no effect whatever being
perceptible in either animal, they were shot to get rid of them. These
experiments, though not altogether complete, certainly establish the fact
that it is a poison of no very great activity. The quantity made use of in
the second experiment was too great to allow a fair deduction to be made
as to its properties. When a fourth to a sixth of the quantity was
employed in the third experiment the same effects followed, but with
rather less rapidity; death resulting in the one case in ten, in the other
in sixteen minutes, although the death in the latter case was perhaps
hastened by the loss of blood. The symptoms more resemble those produced
by nux vomica than by any other agent. No apparent drowsiness, spasms,
slight at first, beginning in the neck, increasing in intensity, extending
over the whole body, and finally stopping respiration and with it the
action of the heart. Experiments first and fourth show that a moderate
quantity, such as may be introduced on the point of an arrow, produced no
sensible effect either on a goat or a rabbit, and it could scarcely be
supposed that it would have more on a man than on the latter animal; and
the fifth experiment proves that a full dose taken into the stomach
produces no result within a reasonable time.
"The extract appeared to have been very carelessly prepared. It contained
much earthy matter, and even small stones, and a large proportion of what
seemed to be oxidized extractive matter also was left undisturbed when it
was treated with water: probably it was not a good specimen. It seems,
however, to keep well, and shows no disposition to become mouldy."
[16] The Somal divide their year into four seasons:--
1. Gugi (monsoon, from "Gug," rain) begins in April, is violent for forty-
four days and subsides in August. Many roads may be traversed at this
season, which are death in times of drought; the country becomes "Barwako
"(in Arabic Rakha, a place of plenty,) forage and water abound, the air is
temperate, and the light showers enliven the traveller.
2. Haga is the hot season after the monsoon, and corresponding with our
autumn: the country suffers from the Fora, a violent dusty Simum, which is
allayed by a fall of rain called Karan.
3. Dair, the beginning of the cold season, opens the sea to shipping. The
rain which then falls is called Dairti or Hais: it comes with a west-
south-west wind from the hills of Harar.
4. Jilal is the dry season from December to April. The country then
becomes Abar (in Arabic Jahr,) a place of famine:
