ACTION ON ANIMALS 



129 



TABLE V. RESULTS WITH SOLUTION OF POISON RENDERED DECIDEDLY 



ALKALINE WITH SODIUM BICARBONATE AND KEPT AT ROOM 



TEMPERATURE 



From the above tables it will be seen that the degree of 

 alkalinity of the solution, and especially the length of time 

 that the poison has stood in alkaline solution are very 

 important factors in determining its toxicity. Thus in 

 Table III, in which the solution was barely neutralized, the 

 poison seems to have retained its full potency after eight 

 days in the incubator, whereas, in the case of the strongly 

 alkaline solution, the potency has decreased markedly 

 within from twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Again, 

 there are great differences to be seen depending on whether 

 the strongly alkaline solution has been kept at room tem- 

 perature or at that of the incubator, the decrease in toxicity 

 being much less rapid in the first instance. 



A more detailed report of the effects on animals than 

 it was possible to give in the above tables is not without 

 interest. For example, in Table IV, No. 2, which received 

 60 milligrams immediately after the solution had been 

 rendered decidedly alkaline, was very sick indeed, whereas 

 No. 3, which received the same amount after two hours 

 in the incubator, was only slightly affected. In the case 

 of Nos. 5 and 6 the effects observed corresponded more 

 closely to those obtained with the crude bacterial cell 

 substance. It is unfortunate that the time of death was 

 not ascertained in the case of No. 5. No. 6 did not suc- 

 cumb until seven hours after the injection. On autopsy 



