1058 REPORT—1885. 
caused standstill at the ordinary temperature failed to do so at a reduced tempera- 
ture (5° C.). A heart reduced to standstill by a 1° per cent. solution of ether at 
a temperature of 35° C. recommenced beating on lowering the temperature." 
A marked quantitative difference was shown between the different anesthetics, 
as shown in the following table, where the percentage of the drug required to 
stimulate, to reduce, or to entirely stop the contraction of the heart, is shown :— 
Paralysing 
_ Stimulating Reducing 
Ether . , 2 -| 1 percent. | 1:5 percent. | 2 per cent. | 
Ethidene dichloride ./| z;th ,, ,, ath 4, 5 Athi yaseipay dh | 
Bromide of ethyl ! goth Fs Blt'yp th didulas ath vie 
Chloroform . ‘ ad Hgeth oy hosy ath », Fath « s.'libace et 
A qualitative difference was also shown. Ether and ethidene very much re- 
sembled one another. The relaxation after each contraction was complete. With 
chloroform and bromide of ethyl, however, a marked difference was observed. 
The heart showed a great tendency to contract spasmodically round the canule. 
So marked was this, that it was difficult to pass the nourishing fluid through the 
heart, in order to wash out the drugged fluid. This action was’ never observed 
with ether and ethidene when the heart had been fairly under their influence. It 
was noticed in more than one case, however, that the heart became spasmodically 
contracted round the canule immediately on receiving the first stimulating dose of 
the drug. This occurred with ether as well as with chloroform. With ether, 
however, it rapidly passed off, and did not recur after the full influence of 
the anesthetic was felt. It did not so readily pass off with chloroform. The 
author suggested that such an action on the human heart micht account for some 
deaths from chloroform before any quantity of the drug had been given. 
The heart recovered speedily from the influence of ether, but slowly from 
chloroform. Ether was found not to be cumulative ; but this could hardly be said 
so decidedly of chloroform. 
The mixture of chloroform, alcohol, and ether (called the A.C.E. mixture) was 
tried. It seemed to paralyse the heart even more rapidly than chloroform alone, 
and none of the evil effects of chloroform seemed to be diminished. [Tracings 
were shown, and a demonstration of the action of ether on the frog-heart was given. | 
2. On the Action of Cold on Microphytes.” 
By Joun G. McKenpricx, M.D., LL.D., F.R.S. 
3. On the Action of Ozonised Air upon Micro-Organisms and Albumen in 
Solution. By J. J. Coreman, F.C.S. 
The author described a number of experiments conducted by him in conjunction 
with Professor McKendrick, F.R.S., being supplementary to their joint investigation 
upon the influence of cold upon microphytes. Air artificially impregnated with 
ozone by means of a Ruhmkorff coil, so as to contain a much larger percentage of 
ozone than any natural atmospheric air, was passed continuously through a 1 per 
cent. solution of white of eg placed in a glass flask, the inlet and outlet tubes of 
which were carefully plugged with cotton wool previous to commencing and during 
the experiments. 
It was found from various experiments that a stream of air passed through 
100 c.c. of the liquid for 30 hours containing an amount of ozone equal in 
1 Details as regards Ether only found in a paper, ‘ Ueber die Wirkung des Ethers 
auf das Frosch-Herz.’ Du Bois-Reymond’s Archiv fiir 1881. 
? See Proceedings of the Royal Institution of Great Britain and Proceedings of 
the Philosophical Society of Glasgow, 1884-85. 
