8 ILLINOIS BIOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS [128 



were being tested. The stock of fish was kept at as nearly constant tempera- 

 ture as possible by the addition of hot water to the aerated tap-water. The 

 experiments were run at the same temperature as that of the stock by placing 

 the experimental bottles in the stock tank. This ehminated any ill effect due 

 to the sudden change of temperature (Wells 1914). By these experiments 

 it was hoped to determine two things: (1) the fitness of the goldfish as a test 

 animal and (2) the most adaptable range of survival time of the goldfish for 

 pharmacodynamic assay work. 



The goldfish used in these experiments were Carassius carassius L. (Meek 

 and Hilderbrand 1910), the Crucian carp or goldfish. This is the goldfish 

 commonly sold for aquaria. C. auratus is less common and was not obtainable 

 for this work. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



The author desires to acknowledge his indebtedness to Dr. J. H. Beal, 

 Director of Pharmaceutical Research, who suggested the following research 

 and supplied the necessary funds for its conduct, as well as many helpful 

 suggestions throughout the course of the work. 



The author also extends his thanks to Dr. Victor E. Shelford, in whose 

 laboratory the experiments were made, for much valuable advice and assistance 

 and to Dr. C. H. Sisam for suggestions on mathematical points, for the applica- 

 tion of which, however, the author assumes sole responsibiUty. The author's 

 thanks are also due to Drs. Geo. D. Beal, H. B. Lewis, T. R. Ball, and H. E. 

 Eastlack for frequent help in chemical problems. 



