Abstract
Four pictures were shown. The first picture was that of a dog five days after it had received tetanus toxin subcutaneously in the forehead. It showed extreme trismus, opisthotonos and (tonic) tetanus of all four extremities. The second picture was taken after the dog received intravenously a quantity of magnesium sulphate. The mouth was open, no opisthotonos, and the legs fairly relaxed. The third picture shows the same dog after it received a further quantity of magnesium sulphate. All tetanic signs were clearly abolished and the dog was lying on the back and looked well relaxed. In the fourth picture the dog was photographed on the floor. It was lying on the abdomen comfortably relaxed, the lower jaw slightly hanging down, but the head raised and in a normal position. Fifteen minutes later the dog was walking around in the laboratory without much stiffness.
The demonstration shows, first, that magnesium sulphate administered carefully intravenously in 6 per cent. solution is capable of abolishing all tetanic symptoms and, second, that the relaxing effect is not of a curare-like nature.
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