228 



Thompson 



Takinof the content of creatine from the column in which the water has 

 been reduced to 75 per cent, on the two sides, the averages for the 

 three experiments are as follows: — right leg, '5521 per cent.; left leg, 

 •5593 per cent. This gives a slight increase on the left side in the control 

 experiments, but the alteration lies within the margin of error. The 

 control experiments do not, at all events, show any decrease in the creatine 

 of the muscles whose nerves have been divided. 



A fuller analysis of the results of the experiments in Group B brings 

 out the f ollowincr averages : — 



That is to say, as a result of prolonged activity with reduced blood supply 

 there was a fall of 2'67l per cent, of the solids, of '0299 per cent, of 

 the creatine, and of '164 per cent, of total nitrogen. These losses are 

 equivalent respectively to 10"76 per cent, of the actual solids in the muscle, 

 to 6*26 per cent, of the creatine, and to 4'26 per cent, of the total nitrogen. 

 That the loss of total solids is greater than that of the creatine or total 

 nitrogen indicates that non-nitrogenous substances are used up more freely 

 under the conditions of excitation than creatine or other nitrogenous com- 

 pounds. There can be little doubt that the solids which disappear are 

 mainly organic non-nitrogenous bodies. The available analyses of ash 

 show very little change in the active muscle, and therefore support this 

 inference. 



If these results be compared with those of Group A, in which the blood 

 supply of the active muscles remained unaltered, it will be found that the 

 averages are as follows : — 



Thus the loss in total solids was under 2 per cent, of the actual amount 

 present ; no change occurred in the total nitrogen ; while tlie alteration in 

 creatine shows a gain of 1'27 per cent, of the total present. These varia- 

 tions are all within the limits of error of the methods. 



