390 C. H. DANFORTH 



METHOD OF GIVING THE ALCOHOL TREATMENT 



Alcohol was administered bj^ the inhalation method devised 

 by Stockard ('13) in his work with guinea-pigs and subsequently 

 employed by Pearl ('17) in the experiments with poultry. Pearl's 

 technique was followed in its essentials, except that owing to 

 the conditions of the experiments it was possible to use a some- 

 what smipler inhalation chamber. For experiments 1, 2 and 3 

 a glazed earthenware crock 20 inches high and 15 inches in 

 diameter, with a measured capacity of 1.98 cubic feet, or about 

 56 liters, was fitted with a tight cover and a galvanized-iron 

 false bottom. The false bottom w^as perforated by seventy- 

 three f-inch round holes and raised on legs 23^2 inches high. 

 The cover was made of thick matched boards subsequently 

 soaked in paraffin and padded along the surface of contact 

 with the crock. A window 8 inches square was cut out of the 

 center and covered by a piece of glass set in paraffin. WTien a 

 treatment was to be given, the false bottom was tipped on edge 

 and pieces of cotton soaked in 95 per cent ethyl alcohol were 

 placed in the crock. A little additional alcohol was poured in, 

 the false bottom replaced and the cover fitted over the top. At 

 the end of from fifteen to twenty minutes, when the atmosphere 

 was found to be saturated with alcohol vapor, the bird was 

 quickly placed inside on the false bottom, the cover being 

 raised as little, and for as short a time, as possible. Although 

 frequent tests failed to reveal any odor of alcohol on the out- 

 side, the whole chamber was generally covered by heavy cloths 

 except when observations were being made through the window. 

 Between each two treatments the crock was cleaned and aired. 



From 60 cc. to 70 cc. of 95 per cent alcohol were used for 

 each treatment. The amount that vaporized was roughly 

 determined in the following manner. Fresh cotton was soaked 

 in alcohol and then squeezed as dry as possible; 66 cc. of alcohol 

 were then poured over the cotton and on the bottom of the 

 crock. At the end of an hour and thirty minutes, during which 

 time a treatment was given, the alcohol on the bottom was 

 sopped up and the pieces of cotton squeezed as dry as before. 



