TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION I. 899 
summary of the results obtained regarding the action of the parts concerned under 
these conditions :— 
1. Water placed in the mouth does not give rise to swallowing movements. 
2. Stimulation of the superior laryngeal (central end) produces no movements 
of the pharynx and upper part of the cesophagus, but the larynx is sometimes 
slightly elevated. During the stimulation the thoracic and cesophageal parts of 
the gullet are slightly drawn up. About two seconds after stimulation contraction 
of the cardia occurs—often quite a strong one. 
3. Similar phenomena attend stimulation of the central end of either vagus. 
4, Stimulation of the peripheral end of the vagus also frequently causes con- 
traction of the same parts, but only after eight to ten seconds, 
5. Direct stimulation of the cardia causes it to contract. During this observa- 
tion the artificial respiration was suspended in order the better to observe the 
movements of the cardia. If this suspension of respiration was long continued the 
slight automatic movements of the cardia became increased in amount. 
6. With vagus stimulation there was contraction of the pylorus without any 
inhibition, 
2. Observations, Physiological and Pharmacological, on the Intestinal Move- 
ments of a Dog with a Vella Fistula. By J. E. Essrumont. [From 
the Physiological Institute of the University of Bern. | 
Physiological Observations. 
I. The rhythm of the ‘pendulum movements’ (Bayliss and Starling) was 
extremely regular, the frequency of ten to twelve per minute being preserved in 
the fasting and feeding animal, with or without peristalsis. Occasionally the 
frequency rose to eighteen and twenty per minute. The movements were then 
irregular, and suggested the interference of two distinct sets of waves. 
The great variation in size of these pendulum movements, which occurred from 
time to time, did not correspond to variations in the rate of peristalsis. With the 
most rapid peristalsis the waves were small, probably masked by the tonic 
intestinal contraction around the balloon sound used for recording purposes. 
II. Peristalsis, under different conditions, varied from 0 to 224 cm. per 
minute. The normal average rate, twelve to twenty hours after food, was about 
3 em, per minute, but wide variations occurred from hour to hour and day to day. 
Antiperistalsis was never observed. Transient increase of peristalsis appeared 
after deglutition. After a full meal peristalsis remained depressed for three to six 
hours or more. 
After slight exercise a transient well-marked increase of peristalsis occurred. 
More prolonged exercise had, as a rule, no further effect than that following slight 
exercise. When pushed to the point of moderate fatigue, some retardation of the 
movements occurred. After emotion a marked increase constantly occurred, but 
lasted for only a few minutes. Light sleep seemed to have no decided effect on 
the movements. 
Pharmacological Observations. 
When certain purgatives, chiefly derivatives of aloe (kindly furnished to me, 
and their chemical properties determined by Professor Tschirsch) were given to the 
dog, by mouth, the doses required to produce purgation were approximately the 
same as those required for a man of ten times the dog’s weight. 
A phase of increased peristalsis in the fistulous loop usually preceded the 
onset of purgation by several hours. 
The substances investigated were barbaloin, its three derivatives—aloe-emodin, 
alochrysin, alonigrin—and also, nataloin and chrysophanic acid. 
The experiments went to show that barbaloin, with its derivatives, and chryso- 
phanic acid, which probably all agree chemically in possessing the anthracene 
nucleus in their molecules, agree also pharmacologically in possessing marked 
3M 2 
