ANESTHESIA 193 



Experiments were also made 14 to determine the effects 

 of ether on a variety of plants. An increase of resistance 

 (followed by a decrease) was observed in Laminaria and 

 Ulva. In Rhodymenia ether (2.5, 3, 5 and 5.5% by 

 volume), and alcohol (1, 3.5, 7, 8% by volume) added to 

 sea water produced little or no rise. This is not surprising 

 in view of the fact that these substances always produce 

 less rise in Laminaria than does Ca and that even Ca 

 produces very little rise in Rhodymenia. In respect 

 to recovery from the injury caused by these sub- 

 stances, Rhodymenia agrees with Laminaria in that 

 recovery is practically complete in alcohol (if the fall 

 in resistance has not gone too far), but is almost entirely 

 absent in ether and chloroform. 



While the writer has found no records of similar 

 experiments made by other investigators, it may be 

 desirable to refer briefly to the work of Joel on the con- 

 ductivity of red blood corpuscles. When red blood cor- 

 puscles are repeatedly washed in an isotonic solution of 

 cane sugar and allowed to stand in this solution the 

 conductivity of the suspension gradually increases. This 

 is due in part to the exosmosis of electrolytes (which 

 increases the conductivity of the solution) and probably 

 in part to the fact that the permeability of the corpuscles 

 to ions increases. The experiments of Joel, 15 show 

 that this increase in conductivity can be hindered 

 by the addition of "indifferent' narcotics (at certain 

 concentrations). 



In order to determine whether alkaloids decrease the 



14 Cf. Osterhout (1919, A). 

 "Joel, A. (1915). 



13 



