ACTION OF DIGITALIS ON THE BLOOD- 

 VESSELS. 



In conjunction with ADOLPH BERNHARD MEYER, M.D. 



(Reprinted from the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, yol. vii, 1873.) 



Independently of each other, and in different ways, we both 

 arrived at the conchision that digitahn causes contraction of the 

 small blood-vessels.* Wishing to support our views by still 

 more conclusive proofs, we took advantage of the opportunities 

 afforded to us in the physiological laboratory of the Berlin 

 University to perform together, in January, 18G8, some experi- 

 ments on the subject. We are perfectly aware of their incom- 

 ]jletenes3, but circumstances having prevented us from continu- 

 ing them, and the departure of one of us for a distant land 

 rendering it improbable that we shall be able to resume them 

 together, we now publish their results. 



AYe believed that by a comparison of the form of the curves 

 indicating the blood-pressure before and after the inj.ection of 

 dioitalin into the circulation, we should be able to determine 

 exactly whether it caused contraction of the arterioles or not. 

 The kymographion we employed was that of Ludwig, as modi- 

 fied by Traube, and the experiments were conducted on dogs in 

 the following manner. The animal being narcotised by hydro- 

 chlorate of morphia, a cannula was inserted into the crural 

 artery, and a curve (fig. 98) showing the normal blood-pressure 

 was described. Digitahn, suspended in a small quantity of dis- 

 tilled water, was then injected into the carotid artery, and 

 pressure-curves again described. Injection into the artery was 



* T. Lauder Brunton On Diyttalis : u-ilh -some Observations on the Urine, 

 London, 1868, p. 52 {vide p. 55), and A. Bernbard Meyer, Zur Lehre von den 

 llerzgiflen in Untersuchungen aus dem physiologischen Lahoratorium der Zilricher 

 Hochschule herausgegeben von Professor Fick. Wion, 1869, p. 71. 



