EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON THE LIFE CYCLE OF 

 PARAMECIUM 



W. A. MATHENY 



From the Biological Laboratory of Clark Unive-sity 

 With O.ve Figure 



Calkins and Lieb (i) made some experiments with alcohol on 

 paramecia and found that "... alcohol has no effect when 

 taken in too weak doses, and too powerful an effect when taken in 

 over strong doses." "... when a medium dose is given (for 

 example 3 parts of toVo alcohol to 2 of hay, or i part of -5^0 

 alcohol to 4 parts of hay) the effect is a continued stimulus which 

 sustains the high rate of division even during periods of depression 

 of the control series." "There is no doubt that for a time at least, 

 alcohol will prevent death during periods of depression ." 



. . there is evidence that . . . the general vitality would 

 decrease under the constant stimulus as it does under treatment 

 with hay infusion alone, although much more slowly." " Notwith- 

 standing the more rapid living, the general vitality does not seem 

 to be affected badly by the alcohol." 



Woodruff (2) found that: 



1. " Minute doses of alcohol will decrease the rate of division 

 at one period of the life cycle and increase it at another period of 

 the life cycle." 



2. "When alcohol increases the division rate, the effect is not 

 continuous, but gradually diminishes and finally the rate of divi- 

 sion falls below that of the control, followed by fluctuations above 

 and below the rate of the control." 



Since the acute and chronic effects of alcohol on the Paramecium 

 have not been clearly shown, these experiments were started with 

 that end in view. 



