322 T. Hough and C. E. Ham 



muscle of the ligatured leg. This difference is seen in the earlier 

 contractions of the series and becomes more pronounced in the later 

 contractions. The contraction time of the looth twitch of the normal 

 muscle, indeed, may exceed one second, while that of the alcoholized 

 muscle may not exceed a fifth of a second; and this is specially true 

 of the period of relaxation, which is often disproportionally length- 

 ened in the "normal" muscle. 



With regard to the statement that the alcoholized muscle gives " a 

 larger number of contractions," we have found that a larger number 

 of complete simple contractions (i. e., twitches in which relaxation is 

 complete before the next contraction begins) may be obtained 

 from the alcoholized muscle. But it would seem that Lee and Salant 

 have taken the disappearance of individual simple contractions as an 

 indication of the exhaustion of the muscle. Figs, i and 4 of their 

 paper, however, show clearly that, while the individual contractions 

 of the normal muscle do indeed cease sooner than those of the alcohol- 

 ized muscle, this is due to the fact that relaxation is not complete and 

 the muscle has gone into tetanus. Obviously, such a tracing does not 

 show exhaustion. 



In order to eliminate this disturbing factor of increased relaxation 

 time, we have repeated the experiments with the exception that in one 

 series less rapid rates of stimulation (one every two or three seconds) 

 were used, and in another series the two muscles were thrown into 

 tetanus and their tracings compared. In all cases the alcoholized 

 muscles showed greater resistance to fatigue; and during the tetanic 

 contractions the weight was not only lifted to a greater height, but 

 also held at a greater height than by the "normal" muscle. 



Lee and Salant's results as to the behavior of these "alcoholized" 

 muscles were, therefore, confirmed in all essential points. After the 

 absorption of the 10 per cent alcohol the muscle did more work, and 

 the onset of fatigue was distinctly delayed. 



In all these experiments 0.08 c.c. of the 10 per cent alcohol per 

 gram of body-weight were injected. This means, for a medium- 

 sized frog, the addition of 2 . 5 c.c, or more, of fluid to the circulating 

 medium of the body — by no means an inconsiderable quantity in this 

 animal. Consequently it is still an open question whether the favor- 



