ANESTHETICS AND CO2 OUTPUT 333 



anesthetics like chloroform and ether. It is well known in the 

 case of ova of marine animals that KCN in proper doses diminishes 

 oxidation. The author has recently shown that decapitation 

 produces a marked decrease in rate of CO2 output in grasshoppers, 

 and the present results also indicate that anesthetics exert marked 

 effects on CO2 output. It is quite possible, therefore, that the 

 disturbances in the germ cells might be due to or closely related 

 to changes in the rates of oxidation. Such an idea, however, 

 must be substantiated by results of further experiments. 



SUM^IARY 



1. Ether produces an increase followed by a decrease in CO2 

 output, which in large doses is irreversible. 



2. Chloroform produces a decrease in CO2 output followed by 

 an increase which in turn is followed by a decrease. The effect 

 is irreversible. 



3. Acetone produces a marked increase in CO2 output followed 

 by a decrease to a rate still decidedly above normal. This 

 increase extends over a long period of time with small doses and 

 is short with large doses. The effect is irreversible. 



4. Xylol produces an increase in CO2 output followed by a 

 decrease which is irreversible. 



5. Formaldehyde produces an increase in CO2 output fol- 

 lowed by a decrease which is of the same magnitude as the normal 

 rate. Large doses produce an increase followed by a marked 

 decrease. The effect is irreversible. 



6. Ether, chloroform, acetone, and xylol in moderate doses 

 inhibit respiratory movements in ten to fifteen minutes. For- 

 maldehyde in relatively large doses does not inhibit the res- 

 piratory movements in two hours. 



7. The experiments show that narcosis is not due to asphyxia 

 and that the anesthetics have an action other than on respiration. 



THE JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY, VOL. 35, NO. 3 



