4(>1> 



DR THOMAS R. FRASER ON STROPHANTHUS HISPIDUS. 



pumped through the isolated heart by its own contractions, according to Williams' 

 method.* 



In these experiments, the heart was removed from a pithed frog, and the vertical limb 

 of a Y-shaped canula was inserted into the ventricle and tied at the auricles. Each 

 oblique limb of the canula was in connection, first, with a glass valve, and then, above 

 the valve, with a reservoir. The valve connected with the reservoir containing the 

 solution intended to enter the heart, closed on contraction of the ventricle, and so pre- 

 vented regurgitation out of the heart ; while the valve connected with the reservoir 

 intended to receive the solution pumped out of the heart, closed with the back-flow of 

 the solution after it had been pumped out of the heart, and so prevented regurgitation 

 into the heart. Above the latter valve, a tube led to a mercury manometer, in which 

 floated a pen, by which the contractions of the ventricle could be recorded. The reservoirs 

 were placed at an elevation of from 8 to 9 inches above the heart, and the temperature 

 of the laboratory varied from 60° to 68° F. 



A mixture of blood-serum and saline (one part of defibrinated ox-blood and two parts 

 of 075 per cent, chloride of sodium solution) was first allowed to pass through the 

 heart, and, afterwards, this fluid, with a certain proportion of Strophanthus extract or of 

 strophanthin dissolved in it. It was found, then, when fed with the above mixed serum 

 and saline fluid, a frog's heart was able to contract with regularity for many hours. 



The results obtained in a number of experiments are stated below. 



Experiments with Extract of Strophanthus. 



No. of Experiment. 



Strength of Solution of 

 Extract of Strophanthus. 



i 

 Result. 



LXXXIL, 



1:10,000. 



Paralysis of heart in 5 min. 





LXXXTIL, 







1 



20,000. 



,, „ 5 min. 





LXXXIV., 







1 



33,000. 



,, ,, 8 min. 





LXXXV., 







1 



40,000. 



,, ,, 11 min. 





LXXXVL, 







1 



: 75,000. 



,, „ 14 min. 





LXXXVIL, 







1 



750,000. 



20 min. 





LXXXVIIL, 







1 



1,500,000. 



20 min. 





LXXXIX., 







1 



3,000,000. 



,, ,, 31 min. 





XC, 







1 



3,000,000. 



„ ,, 37 min. 





XCL, 







1 



3,500,000. 



,, ,, 15 min. 





XCIL, . 







1 



: 4,500,000. 



22 min. 





XCIIL, . 







1 



6,000,000. 



„ 20 min. 





XCIV., . 







1 



. 6,000,000. 



,, „ 26 min. 





XCV., . 







1 



: 8,000,000. 



„ ,, 32 min. 





XCVL, . 







1 



: 9,000,000. 



„ ,, 32 min. 





XCVIL, . 







1 



: 10,000,000. 



,, „ 19 min. 





XCV1IL, . 







1 



: 10,000,000. 



,, ,, 52 min. 





XCIX, . 







1 



: 15,000,000. 



„ ,, about 2 hours. 





c, . 







1 



: 20,000,000. 



Heart not completely paralysed in 1 hour 5 



min. 



CI, 







1 



: 20,000,000. 



Heart not completely paralysed in 3 hours. 





Archivfiir Experimentelle Pathologie und Pharrnakologie, vol. xiii., 1881, p. 1. 



