ACTION OF CYAXIDr.S 441 



EXPEimiFAT t'XLVII. 



Sodium Cyanide, (Hydrocyanic Acid), Sodium Sulphide, 

 Hydrogen Peroxide. (Dog: Respiration, Blood-pres- 

 sure, Oxygen Consumption, Blood, Glycosuria.) 



1. Arrange a dog (give a small dose of chloretone) for 

 recording Hood-pressure, respiration, and oxygen con- 

 sumption. The injecting burettes contain either sodium 

 cyanide (one-half per cent) or hydrocyanic acid (one-half 

 per cent the official form is supposed to be two per cent, 

 lint is usually much weaker and often unreliable) and so- 

 dium .sulphide (one per cent). 



AVI i en all adjustments are made take a normal record 

 showing at least one or two notches for the oxygen con- 

 Mimption tracing. Then inject one-half cubic centimeter 

 of the cyanide solution. Marked results should be shown 

 on all three tracings. The dose may be too small if your 

 drug was deteriorated (as is very often the case only fresli 

 preparations should be used). Very small doses of the 

 cyanides do not affect, or possibly, may even slightly in- 

 crease the rate of oxygen consumption. Large doses de- 

 crease the rate and your records should easily show this 

 action. 



When the animal returns to normal again inject a dose 

 (perhaps one cubic centimeter) of cyanide and note the ef- 

 fect. Get the oxygen consumption record over three or 

 four notches to see the prolonged action of the drug on this 

 function. Let the animal recover and give a .third injection 

 of cyanide. When the symptoms become marked inject one 

 cubic centimeter of the sodium sulphide solution (sodium 

 hyposulphite may be substituted) and determine whether 

 or not this aids materially in the recovery of the animal. 

 What antidotes do you know for cyanide poisoning ? How 

 are these administered? How (jiiickly could this he done? 

 How quickly will the cyanide act ? 



