152 F. A. BAINBRTDGE AND H. H. DALE. 



V. THE ACTION OF CERTAIN DRUGS. 



Nicotine. The effect of intravenous injection of 2 4 mgms. of nicotine 

 is indistinguishable from that of adrenalin, the stimulant effect on 

 sympathetic ganglion cells entirely overpowering the concomitant excita- 

 tion of ganglion cells on the course of the vagus fibres which must be 

 supposed to take place. 



Bile-salt. The muscle of the gall-bladder is affected like all other 

 plain muscle by intravenous injection of bile-salt, its activity being 

 depressed, and relaxation being the result. 



Pilocarpine. When the gall-bladder is left in its natural relation to 

 the liver pilocarpine causes an apparent increase of tone when injected 

 intravenously. We have not been able to produce this effect under 

 conditions giving an uncomplicated record, or by direct application of 

 the drug to the gall-bladder. The apparent rise of tone was therefore 

 due to the swelling of the liver. 



Atropine. With all precautions to exclude extraneous effect, and 

 whether the vagi are left intact or cut previously, atropine (5 mgms. 

 intravenously) causes a rapid fall of tone which is only gradually regained 



Fig. 18. 



Curare. Gall-bladder separated from liver. Blood-pressure from carotid. 

 At A 5 mgm. atropine sulphate intravenously. 



(Fig. 18). When atropine has thus been given, stimulation of either 

 vagus produces no effect even when chrysotoxin has been given as well. 

 The endings of the vagus in the gall-bladder would appear, therefore, to 

 be more sensitive to atropine than those in the small intestine. 



