INFECTIONS OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT 255 



"Experiments have been performed on the muscles of frogs 

 and cats. The method has been to irrigate corresponding muscles 

 for a given length of time the one with physiological-salt solu- 

 tion, the other with physiological-salt solution plus a small quan- 

 tity of the drug, and then to stimulate the muscles and record the 

 contraction and the amount of work done before exhaustion sets in. 



"Indol in 0.05 per cent, solution that is, one part to 2000 



causes an early fatigue of the muscles and a diminution in the 

 amount of work of which the muscle is capable. In a specific 

 experiment the indolized muscles performed 24,320 g. mm. of 

 work before it became exhausted, while at the same time the cor- 

 responding normal muscle performed 44,000 g. mm. of work, and 

 was still capable of doing more. The work actually accomplished 

 by the two muscles was 100 (normal) : 55 (indol) . 



"Phenol in 0.05 per cent, solution that is one part to 2000 



usually puts the muscle into a better working condition than 

 that of the normal muscle. In a specific experiment the phenolized 

 muscle performed 7550 g. mm. of work before it became ex- 

 hausted, while at the same time the corresponding normal muscle 

 performed only 4400 g. mm. of work. The work actually ac- 

 complished by the two muscles was 100 (normal) : 171 (phenol). 

 This favorable action of phenol is followed, however, by the re- 

 verse effect, the phenolized muscle usually becoming exhausted 

 before the normal muscle. In 0.1 per cent, solution that is, 

 one part to 1000 the effect of phenol is like that of indol ; in 

 other words, the phenolized muscle performs less work and be- 

 comes fatigued more readily than the normal one." 



Still more important than the foregoing experiments 

 is the following observation by Dr. Lee : 



"The two muscles of a cat were irrigated for half an hour, the 

 one with whipped blood, the other with whipped blood to which 

 indol had been added in 0.004 per cent, solution; in other words, 

 one part of indol to 25,000. The normal muscle then performed 

 34,400 g. mm. of work, while the indolized muscle performed only 

 12,880 g. mm. the ratio of normal work to indolized work is 

 100:37." 



This shows that indol in very minute quantity acting 

 for a long time on the muscle diminishes its working 



