THE SUPRARENAL SYSTEM 205 



adrenalin produces a tonic contraction of the duodenum and, to 

 a certain degree, of the rest of the small intestine ; the large 

 intestine relaxes, and the ileocascal and internal anal sphincters 

 contract. Irritation of the vagus produces the reverse effects; 

 and irritation of the spinal roots of the sympathetic produces 

 results identical with those of adrenalin. 



The Urinary Bladder. Lewandowsky found that the 

 intravenous injection of suprarenal extract was followed by a 

 relaxation of the detrusor fibres, which was shown by a reduction 

 of the internal pressure. Langley found that the results which 

 he obtained were similar to those produced by stimulation of 

 the inferior mesenteric ganglion or of the hypogastric nerve. 

 The local application of suprarenal extract produces blanching 

 accompanied by local contraction, which is, however, followed 

 by relaxation. 



Elliott investigated the innervation conditions of the bladder 

 and urethra in different varieties of mammals, and he found that 

 the effect of adrenalin upon the muscular structure of the bladder 

 was in all cases coincident with a sympathetic innervation. 



In all mammals, sympathetic fibres proceed from the lumbar 

 spinal roots to the urinary bladder by way of the hypogastric 

 nerve, and autonomous fibres pass to it from the sacral roots by 

 the agency of the pelvic nerve (errigens). Electric stimulation 

 of the hypogastric nerve is followed, in cats, by a brief contraction 

 of the bladder, which principally affects the fundus, and this is 

 succeeded by considerable relaxation of the bladder accompanied 

 by a violent contraction of the urethra. The intravenous injec- 

 tion of adrenalin immediately provokes a short contraction of 

 the fundus and of the urethra, together with a complete relax- 

 ation of the body of the bladder. While the effect of adrenalin 

 lasts, stimulation of the pelvic nerve fails to produce contraction. 



In the ape (Macacus rhesus), the effect both of adrenalin and 

 of hypogastric stimulation is to produce a slight relaxation of 

 the bladder. In the rabbit, irritation of the hypogastric produces 

 a slight increase in internal pressure and contraction of the 

 urethra, similar effects being obtained with adrenalin. The 

 urinary bladders of the guinea-pig, the hedgehog, and the rat 

 do not react to adrenalin. In the dog, stimulation of the 

 hypogastric produces only very slight contraction of the fundus, 

 and the influence upon the muscular structure is equally insig- 

 nificant. In the ferret (Mustelus putorius, var. domestica), 

 irritation of the hypogastric is followed by complete contraction 

 of the bladder. It is a remarkable fact that, in this animal, the 

 motor innervation of the bladder is derived from the sympa- 

 thetic system and the inhibitory innervation from the sacral 

 autonomous system. A small quantity of adrenalin given intra- 

 venously is also followed, in this animal, by violent and 

 prolonged contraction of the bladder. The remarkably strong 



