44 Itajjaki 



>3" 



agreeing generally with that of stimulation of the hypogastric. Kehrer 

 (10) states that nicotine first causes inhibition, afterwards contraction, of 

 the excised uterus of the non-gravid cat. Sugimoto (20) found the action 

 of nicotine to be very slight on the excised uterus of the guinea-pig, 

 although intravenous injection caused distinct contraction. Gottlieb and 

 Meyer (21) state that in the uterus of the non-pregnant cat nicotine first 

 produces inhibition and then contraction, whereas its effect upon the gravid 

 uterus is to cause immediate contraction. 



My own experiments show that in the rat solutions of a strength vary- 

 ing from 1 : 10,000 to 1 : 5000 cause an increase of tone. With stronger 

 solutions, such as 1 : 1000, there is at first an arrest of contraction and then 

 an increase of tone, but with very strong solutions (e.g. 1 :200) inhibition 

 alone is produced. 



Pilocarpine. 



Brennecke (22) and Kleinwachter (23) state that labour pains are 

 strengthened by intravenous injection of pilocarpine. Dale and Laidlaw 

 (24) and Kehrer (10) and Fardon (25) investigated the influence of 

 pilocarpine upon the isolated uterus : they found that in the cat the con- 

 tractions are increased, or if in abeyance are excited. Dale and Laidlaw 

 obtained the same effect with the uterus of the guinea-pig, and this whether 

 the drug were injected into a vein or whether the excised uterus were 

 immersed in the solution. Gunn (6) got little effect upon the rat's uterus. 



In my own experiments the results of pilocarpine have been inconstant. 

 I have used strengths of solution from 1 : 100,000 to 1 : 1000 made up wath 

 Locke. The result has generally been to produce contraction, but occasion- 

 ally to diminish it. 



Atropine. 



Rohrig (26) states that intravenous injection of 0"003 grm. of atropine 

 sulphate causes cessation of the peristaltic movements of the uterus of the 

 rabbit. Direct application seemed to have no effect. Franz (2), who also 

 used the uterus of the rabbit, obtained a different result from intravenous 

 injection of atropine, which he describes as having no effect. Kehrer (10) 

 states that a weak solution (1:250,000) causes contraction; a medium 

 strength (from 1 : 10,000 to 1 : 25,000), an increase of tone ; but even a 

 solution of much greater strength (such as one over 1 : 2500) does not 

 arrest the contractions (in the cat and dog). Kurdinowsky (27), using 

 rabbit's uterus, found the action of atropine sulphate in doses of from 

 0-005-0-08 grm., when intravenously injected, to be much the same as that 

 of morphine. Quagliariello (28) found the action of atropine on the uterus 

 uncertain, although when in a condition of increased tone there was some- 

 times a tendency to produce relaxation. 



In my own experiments upon the uterus of the rat I have used 

 strengths of atropine sulphate of from 1 : 20,000 to 1 : 1000. With a 



