ACIDOSIS 341 



of the adrenals; and by the continuous infusion of 

 adrenin solution. 



On the other hand, the administration of morphia 

 causes no change in the H-ion concentration of the 

 blood nor does decapitation, provided artificial respira- 

 tion is maintained. 



Many observations were made on animals near 

 death from various causes. In each instance the 

 blood became increasingly acid as death approached. 

 This fact suggests the following question : Is the 

 termination of life in many diseases, such as infections, 

 Graves' disease, shock, etc., due to the failure of the 

 body to maintain its alkalinity? Certain facts seem 

 to support an affirmative answer to this question, 

 namely : (1) the intravenous injection of certain acids 

 causes death quickly ; and (2) the intravenous injec- 

 tion of acids causes extensive histologic changes in 

 the brain, the adrenals and the liver, which resemble 

 the changes invariably caused by excessive activation 

 of the kinetic system. 



Certainly it would seem as if anesthesia and many 

 instances of unconsciousness are associated with in- 

 creased H-ion concentration of the blood. As pre- 

 viously stated, we found that the H-ion concentration 

 of the blood is increased by alcohol, by ether and by 

 nitrous oxid. In addition, we found that the increase 

 in H-ion concentration was more gradual under ether 

 administration than under nitrous oxid, an observa- 

 tion which accords with the fact that nitrous oxid 

 induces anesthesia more quickly than does ether. 



Williams has found that in animals under ether 

 anesthesia no nerve currents are detected by the 



