26 J. WILLIAM BUCHANAN 



Ethyl alcohol 



Head frequency. The results on head frequency of subject- 

 ing pieces to various concentrations of ethyl alcohol for short 

 periods after section are similar in many cases to those obtained 

 with the other anesthetics. Eleven experiments were performed 

 with concentrations ranging from moL 1/4 to mol. 1/20. Six 

 of the eleven resulted in slight decreases in head frequency in 

 the A pieces and increases in the C pieces. These results were 

 obtained with mol. 1/10 alcohol. Stronger solutions bring 

 about injury to the pieces in some way and the number of deaths 

 in experiments with such solutions was too great to permit any 

 conclusions regarding their effect on head frequency. In weaker 

 solutions no definite changes resulted. Table 5A gives the 

 high and low extremes obtained with mol. 1/10 alcohol. 



Oxygen co7ismnpiion. The results obtained in measuring the 

 oxygen consumption of pieces in mol. 1/10 alcohol are interest- 

 ing because of their failure to show any inhibition of the stimu- 

 lation of section such as one might expect in the light of the data 

 on the effects of the other anesthetics employed. Four experi- 

 ments were performed, and in every case the rate of the pieces 

 in mol. 1/10 alcohol was slightly higher than that of the con- 

 trol. In eight experiments with stronger solutions the results 

 were indefinite and irregular. In five experiments employing 

 mol. 1/4 and mol. 1/5 alcohol the rate of oxygen consumption 

 of the pieces in alcohol was much above the rate of the controls 

 for the first two hours after section, but fell to a much lower 

 rate the second two hours. In three experiments with the same 

 concentrations the rate of the pieces in alcohol was somewhat 

 below that of the control for the four hours during which the 

 test was carried on. Table 5B gives one result with mol. 1/10, 

 one with mol. 1/5, and one with mol. 1/4 alcohol. All of these 

 solutions produce a marked degree of anesthesia in the pieces. 



These results on the measurement of oxygen consumption 

 of pieces subjected to relatively strong solutions of ethyl alcohol 

 are distinctly different in nature from those obtained with the 

 other anesthetics. In all the others employed in concentrations 

 producing a considerable degree of anesthesia the increase of 



