THE THEORY OF ANESTHESIA. 315 



narcotics. The nerve-cells controlling the heart beat of Limulus 

 show a faster rhythm in weak solutions of alcohol, chloral 

 hydrate, choretone, and chloroform. 1 Hamburger has shown 

 that many lipoid-soluble substances iodoform, chloroform, tur- 

 pentine, benzol, chloral hydrate, camphor, fatty acids, soaps- 

 increase the amoeboid and phagocytic activity of leucocytes, 

 while stronger solutions decrease this activity. 2 A similar rule 

 appears to hold for the respiratory center of vertebrates. 3 Ac- 

 cording to Vernon, 4 weak solutions of narcotics increase the con- 

 sumption of oxygen in isolated tissues like the kidney. Tashiro 

 and Adams find that low concentrations of urethane and chloral 

 hydrate increase the excitability of nerve as well as its output of 

 carbon-dioxide; in higher concentrations both are decreased. 5 

 The staircase phenomenon in irritable tissues is probably due 

 to the stimulating action of small quantities of substances 

 ("fatigue-substances") which in higher concentrations decrease 

 irritability. Small quantities of alcohol increase the responsive- 

 ness of voluntary muscle and the energy of its contractions. 6 

 The musculature of medusae shows increased response to mechan- 

 ical stimuli in sea water containing a little alcohol. 7 Similar 

 facts are met with in plants. Many depressant substances, when 

 present in low concentration, increase the rate of growth. 8 

 Traces of ether have an accelerating or forcing influence on plant 



1 A. J. Carlson, Amer. Journ. Physiol., 1906, Vol. 17, p. 182. 

 - Hamburger, "Archives Neerlandaises des Sciences Exactes et Naturelles," 

 Serie III, B, 1911, p. i; A rchiv fiir Anatomie und Physiologic, Physiol. Abth., 1913, 



P- 77- 



3 Cf. Hamburger, "Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen te Amsterdam," 



1915, Vol. 17, P- 1325- 



4 H . M. Vernon, "The Function of Lipoids in Tissue Respiration," Journ. of 

 Physiol., 1912, Vol. 45, p. 197. 



5 Tashiro and Adams, Internal. Zeilschr. f. physik-chem. Biol., 1914, Vol. i, 

 p. 450. 



6 Cf. Lee and Salant, " The Action of Alcohol on Muscle," Amer. Journ. Physiol., 

 1902, Vol. 8, p. 61. 



7 Cf. Bethe, "Allgemeine Anat. u. Physiol. d. Nervensystems," Leipzig, 1903, 

 p. 359. One half per cent, alcohol decidedly increases the mechanical irritability 

 of the isolated central portion of the medusa Cotalorrhiza. F. S. Lee observed that 

 in the Woods Hole medusa Gonionemus the spontaneous contractions of the swim- 

 ming bell are markedly increased by small quantities of alcohol (1/16 to 1/4 per 

 cent.); cf. Amer. Journ. Physiol., 1903, Vol. 8, p. xix. 



8 Numerous instances of this effect are cited by Czapek, Biochemie der PJlanzen, 

 Jena, 1913. P- 148. 



