260 IRRITABILITY 



considered from the standpoint of our present knowledge of the 

 processes in living substance, offer an explanation of the oxyda- 

 tive suppression as a result of narcosis. 



One of these possibilities is, that the narcotic itself consumes 

 the oxygen which activates living substance and uses it for its 

 individual oxydation, so that the specific oxydable material of 

 living substance receives less oxygen from the oxygen carriers. 

 Based on a series of interesting experiments this view has been 

 recently maintained by Biirker.^ He observed that with the 

 electrolysis of acidulated water, to which a small per cent, of ether 

 was added, a much less amount of oxygen was at the anode than 

 in one used as means of control, containing acidulated water 

 without ether. The oxygen was replaced at the anode by 

 oxydation products of the ether, such as carbonic oxide, carbon 

 dioxide, acetate aldehyde and acetic acid. In experiments with 

 various narcotics he likewise found that the stronger the effect 

 produced by narcosis, the greater the oxygen amount required 

 for the oxydation taking place of electrolysis. Biirker applies 

 these results obtained for electrolysis to the processes in living 

 substance and takes the view that the narcotic seizes on the 

 active oxygen, and so withdraws it from the masses of living sub- 

 stance possessing a great oxygen requirement. It cannot be 

 denied that this conception of the nature of certain narcotics 

 deserves careful investigation. It seems to me, however, that 

 before considering it in the light of a serious probability a grave 

 difficulty would first have to be removed. In living substance 

 the narcotic would occur under conditions essentially different 

 from those existing during the experiment in the voltameter. 

 In the former case there would be the struggle for oxygen 

 of the specific oxydable cell masses to be met with. Considering 

 the small amount of chemical activity of the greater number of 

 narcotics it would appear at least doubtful if in this battle for 

 supremacy the latter would achieve a victory. For some nar- 

 cotics, as, for instance, carbon dioxide, this method of a depres- 

 sion of the oxydative processes would have no bearing whatever. 



1 Biirker: "Eine neue Theorie der Narkose." Miinchener Med. Wochenschrift, 

 1910. 



