390 COLLOIDS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 



decomposition. He believes that delayed chloroform poisoning 

 results entirely from the destructive action of HC1 formed in the 

 tissues and he attributes the protective action of glycogen to the 

 fact that the glucose resulting therefrom inhibits the diffusion of 

 HC1 into gels. The toxic action of anesthetics has been shown by 

 J. A. NEF to be due to an unsaturated carbon atom. The effect of 

 such atoms has not yet been discussed colloid-chemically. (Jour. 

 Amer. Med. Assoc., Vol. LXIX, No. 20, p. 1066 et seq., quoted by 

 GRAHAM, loc. cit.) 



BURGE attributes the anesthetic action of anesthetics to the de- 

 crease in oxidation processes produced by the destruction of catalase. 

 The specific action on the nervous system is due to the greater solu- 

 bility of the lipoids of nervous tissue facilitating the entrance of the 

 narcotic into the nerve cell. Science N. S., Vol. XL VI, No. 1199, p. 

 618 et seq. Tr.] With large doses of morphine, chloroform and ether 

 we observe more or less intense phenomena of irritation, especially in 

 the kidneys, before the general circulation is much disturbed; album- 

 inuria and hematuria may thus occur. MARTIN H. FISCHER * (see 

 p. 333) explains this by the disturbance in the oxidation processes of 

 the body which suffers from such substances and by the fact that as 

 the result of the accumulation of CO 2 and ultimately of other acids, 

 a fixation of water occurs in the body so that no excess of water 

 remains for excretion by the kidneys. Besides the anuria, we may 

 thus explain the thirst which such patients frequently show. Secre- 

 tion of urine occurs again and the thirst disappears when the effect 

 of the narcotic wears off, even though the patient takes no water. 

 Small doses of ether, alcohol, etc., cause the reverse phenomenon, 

 since by increasing the activity of the heart they bring on an im- 

 provement in the supply of oxygen. By this means not only a 

 stronger flow of blood is supplied to the kidneys but the "free" 

 filterable water in the blood is increased, provided the oxidation 

 processes are still uninjured. 



Colloid research seems to me to have raised new questions regarding 

 investigations of the effects from the prolonged use of alcohol. 

 Though the larger part of the alcohol ingested is seized by the lipoids, 

 we cannot neglect the effect upon the albuminous colloids. At 

 present we can only assume that it causes a diminution of swelling. 

 The extent of the relationship between the degenerative changes of the 

 cells, arteriosclerosis, etc., and of this action of alcohol remains for 

 future investigations to determine. [W. BURRIDGE has shown that 

 alcohol increases the utilization of calcium by certain cells. Tr.] 



