MODIFICATION OF THE GERM-CELLS IN MAMMALS 



141 



After the first week No. 173, the old female that should have 

 weighed the same or gained in weight under normal conditions, 

 had lost 50 grams, or 6 per cent of her total weight. The two 

 young males should have gained. No. 1098 gained 17 grams, only 

 2.6 per cent of his weight, while No. 1184 lost 4 grams or prac- 

 tically stood still. Their weight records for the indicated inter- 

 vals are as follows: 



May 7 

 May 14 

 May 21 

 May 28 

 June 2 

 June 11 



173 9 



grams 



822 

 772 

 740 

 759 

 735 

 775 



1098cf 



grams 



635 

 652 

 656 

 659 

 637 

 621 



n84cf 



grams 



527 

 523 

 477 

 469 

 483 

 475 



The alcohol was taken from May 7 to 28, and during that 

 time the first guinea-pig lost 63 grams, or 7.6 per cent of its 

 original weight. Of the two young males one gained 24 grams, 

 or 3.7 per cent of his weight, w^hile the other lost 58 grams, or 

 11 per cent of his original weight. During the next two weeks 

 after the treatment stopped the male that had gained 24 grams 

 lost 38 grams, so that at this time each animal weighed less than 

 when it began to take alcohol. 



This may have been a rather strong dose, but allowing for that, 

 it was readily recognized that these animals were suffering from 

 the treatment, while other guinea-pigs inhaling alcohol for three 

 hours per day until groggy showed no injured appearance. Ani- 

 mals taking alcohol into the stomach suffer mainly on account of 

 the injurious effects on their digestion. Alcohol acts on the 

 gastric mucosa in such a way that the individual is placed at a 

 disadvantage in handling its food and the ill effects observed are 

 more largely due to this derangement of digestion than to the 

 toxic action of alcohol on the animal system. Alcohol in the 

 stomach makes the case complex, while we believe that inhaling 

 alcohol gives effects simply due to the chemical action of alcohol 

 itself on the tissues. For these reasons we do not believe that 

 comparisons are easily made between the conditions of animals 



