630 
carpin upon the surviving small intestine could also be washed out.. 
It was, therefore, incumbent on us to find out whether this was the 
case also for atropin. Originally we supposed this was not so, because 
v. LiprH pr Jeupr had stated that the atropin-action depended on 
the absolute quantity of atropin, and not, as is the case with most 
other poisons, on the concentration in which the poison is presented. 
We believed that the atropin-action could depend on the absolute 
quantity only then, if all or nearly all the atropin had been adsorbed 
from the liquid by the gut. Now we deemed it improbable that in 
that case the whole quantity of atropin could be washed out again. 
On further examination, however we found that the atropin action, 
like the pilocarpin-action, could, indeed, be abolished by washing 
out. This induced us to ascertain whether the atropin-action indeed 
depended only on the absolute quantity and not on the concentration. 
We will not delay the statement that also for atropin only the 
concentration of the poison was found to be conclusive. In this 
inquiry we made use of an apparatus differing from that of v. Lipts 
DE Jeupe. Also our technique differs considerably from bis. 
The fact was namely that — unlike v. Liprn pe Jeupe — we did not add 
to the gut pilocarpin only once and subsequently some drops of an atropin 
solution till the pilocarpin-action began to be neutralized; but, in order to ascer- 
tain in the same gut the action of several doses and concentrations of atropin, 
we wanted to be able to transfer the gut to different vesseis every time without 
breaking the contact between gut and lever. To this end we used an apparatus, 
that was already described on a previous occasion'). With this apparatus 
(fig. 1) the gut is not fastened to the bottom of the vessel, but to the bent arm 
of a glass rod, which reaches into the glass vessel The glass rod is attached to 
a metal bar, which also supports a lever for the registration of the contractions 
of the organ. The metal bar is movable in a vertical direction, in a meta! mantle, 
so that it can be moved upwards by a single motion of the hand which lifts the 
gut out of the solution without interfering with the contact between lever and gut. 
The glass vessel, in which the gut is contained, and which has a capacity of 
75 c.c. stands in a copper vessel, in which there is, moreover, a second glass 
vessel of 150 c.c. capacity. In this metal vessel there is also a thermoregulator, 
connected with a small burner under the vessel. The metal vessel and the burner 
under it are attached to a revolving disc. All is arranged in such a way that as 
soon as the bar, which supports the gut and the lever, is moved upwards, the 
metal vessel can be turned by a single motion of the hand, so that the gut, on 
being lowered, reaches the vessel of 150 c.c. where the poison is washed out. 
The removal from tlie one vessel into the other can be accomplished so quickly 
that the curve on the kymograph is hardly interrupted. So, if necessary, the whole 
washing process may be registered accurately. 
‘) W. Storm v. Leeuwen. Physiologische Waardebepaling van geneesmiddelen. 
Acad. Proefschr. Utrecht. 1919. 
