422 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. 637 



of its fatigue substances the author often ob- 

 served augmentation of activity instead of 

 depression. A more careful investigation of 

 this phenomenon shows that it may be pro- 

 duced by all of the three recognized fatigue 

 substances, namely, carbon doxide, mono-po- 

 tassium phosphate and paralactic acid. When 

 a muscle is irrigated with an indifferent fluid 

 containing one of these substances in small 

 quantity, and compared with its mate irri- 

 gated only by the indifferent fluid, a fatigue 

 record being made from both, more intense 

 contractions frequently occur in the poisoned 

 muscle at the beginning of the experiment, 

 and may last until exhaustion sets in. When 

 a fatigue record is being made from a muscle 

 with the circulation intact, intravenous injec- 

 tion of a fatigue substance causes augmenta- 

 tion of contraction. The author concludes 

 that the treppe is due to the augmenting ac- 

 tion of fatigue substances in small quantities 

 — ^the same substances which in larger quanti- 

 ties cause depression or fatigue. 



An excellent mode of demonstrating the 

 augmenting action of CO^ in the eat is to 

 record the contractions of the tibialis anticus 

 in the living animal, and while the record is 

 being made, to clamp the trachea. A marked 

 treppe follows. 



If two corresponding muscles be compared, 

 one with the circulation intact, and the other 

 with its arteries ligated, the latter muscle per- 

 forms more intense contractions and exhibits 

 a more rapidly developing treppe, owing to 

 the accumulation of fatigue substances. 



The chemical theory of the treppe is able to 

 explain several other known phenomena. The 

 author has experimented on both frogs and 

 cats. The augmenting action of the fatigue 

 substances seems to be observed even when 

 curare is employed. 



The Influence of the Bed Corpuscles upon 

 the Viscosity of the Blood: Eussell Bor- 

 ton-Opitz. 



After determining the coefficient for fresh 

 ox serum at 37° C, the serum was gradually 

 concentrated by the addition of definite quan- 

 tities of red blood corpuscles (washed). The 

 viscosity of the 'blood' was tested after each 

 addition of corpuscles. 



The following data may serve as examples: 



Spec. Gray. No. Red Viscosity 

 Corpuscles. Coe£Beient. 



Serum 1.0248 2397.7 



S -f- 30 c.c. Corp. .. 1.0382 4,000,000 1442.9 

 S -I- 30 c.c. corp. . . 1.0467 4,700,000 1009.3 

 S -1- 30 CO. Corp. .. 1.0524 5,700,000 851.6 



Thus, the increase in the number of red 

 corpuscles caused a corresponding increase in 

 the viscosity. It is also obvious that the red 

 corpuscles constitute the principal factor in 

 determining the viscosity of the blood. 

 A New Recording Stromuhr, with Demonstra- 

 tion: Eussell Burton-Opitz. 



The cylinder of this stromuhr is placed hori- 

 zontally and carries below its floor a valve, by 

 means of which the inflowing blood can be 

 diverted alternately into the right or left 

 half of the instrument. The piston within 

 the cylinder moves back and forth, therefore, 

 in a horizontal direction and records its move- 

 ments by means of a pulley arrangement and 

 a writing lever upon the smoked paper of a 

 kymograph. 



On account of its great sensitiveness, and 

 the possibility of low adjustment, this stro- 

 muhr is especially fitted for measuring the 

 blood flow in the veins. 



The instrument has been used by the author 

 in testing possible vaso-motor reactions in the 

 pulmonary circuit. It was connected with 

 the vein draining the middle lobe of the left 

 lung. The nerves in the vicinity of the gan- 

 glion stellatum were stimulated. So far the 

 experiments have given negative results. 

 The Influence of Gelatin upon the Viscosity 



of the Blood: Eussell Burton-Opitz. 



Solutions of gelatin (1000 : 50) were intro- 

 duced intravenously after the normal viscosity 

 of the blood had been determined. It was 

 found that the injections resulted in a very 

 prompt increase in the viscosity. The follow- 

 ing data may serve as examples: 



Specific Gravity. 



Before Inj. After Inj. 



1.0565 1.0543 



Viscosity. 



Before Inj.After Inj. 



836 772 



The Hemolytic Effects of Organ and Tumor 

 Extracts: Eichard Weil (by invitation). 

 The author has found that the cause of the 



