760 TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION I. 



alcohol, &C, but it has a special action, as it excites enormous oscillations of tonus 

 in the heart muscle, when washed out by fresh saline. 



A heart once diminished in vitality no longer reacts in the same way, and a 

 given concentration of poison produces a much more marked depression of 

 contraction height, and the rate of recovery of the heart on washing out the 

 poison is much slower. , 



8. The Morphology and Nomenclature of the Blood Corpuscles. 

 By Professor C. S. Minot. 



9.- The Nutritive Effects of Beef Extract. 

 By Professor W. H. Thompson, M.D. 



(Preliminary Communication. ) 



Five experiments were carried out in the School of Physiology, Trinity 

 College, Dublin. Of these, two were preliminary, one performed by Captain M. 

 Corry, I. M.S., the other by Mr. A. Chance. The remainder were carried out by 

 the writer. Dogs were used in all. 



In the first of the series the animal was brought to constant weight on a 

 diet of biscuit and lean meat. Beef extract (2^ grms.) was then substituted for 

 double its weight of dog biscuit, and the effects observed for five days. This 

 period was followed by one in which 5 grms. of the extract were given instead 

 of the same weight of biscuit, and this by a final period in which 7£ grms. 

 of the extract replaced 5 grms. of dried dog biscuit. 



In the remaining four experiments the dogs were brought to constant 

 weight on a diet of dog biscuit alone. This first period was followed by other 

 periods in which the extract in varying amount was added to the ration of 

 biscuit. In Experiments IV. and V. the effects of the extract were further 

 compared with those of boiled egg-white, added in varying quantities to the 

 biscuit ration. All the experiments concluded with a period in which the diet 

 of the first or preliminary period was again given. 



The following results are taken from Exps. III., IV., and V., all carried out 

 in the same way and two of them on the same animal. 



Table showing Effect on the Animals' Weight. 



It will be seen that in Period 2 a considerable increase of weight occurred, 

 amounting in Exp. III. to 100 grms., in Exp. IV. to 45 grms., and in Exp. V. 

 from 80 to 100 grms. The quantities of the extract given were, in Exps. III. 

 and IV. 5 grms. per day, while in Exp. V. the amount was increased from 5 grms. 

 in Period (a) to 6 grms. in Period (b), and 7 grms. in Period (c). The amounts 

 of coagulated egg-white (obtained by boiling eggs six to eight minutes and 

 stripping off the white) varied as follows : In Exp. IV. the quantities per day 

 were 20 grms. in (a), 40 grins, in (b), and 50 grms in (<■). The corresponding 

 quantities in Exp. V. were 30 grms. in (n), 50 grms. in (b), 7() grms. in {<). 



