1883.] Physiology. 1083 
rowed in systole became gradually less, the amount of blood 
pumped out diminished proportionately. If the pericardium was 
now cut away the heart began immediately to pump out more 
blood, because its cavities expanded under the pressure upon 
them in diastole, while the extent to which they were constricted 
in systole remained the same. “The action of alcohol adminis- 
tered in the manner and doses above described is, without pri- 
marily altering the force of the heart beat, to alter its character, 
so that the ventricular cavity is not obliterated at the end of the 
systole, and the less so the longer the alcohol has been adminis- 
tered. At first this incomplete systole is compensated for by a 
periments, and also careful observations on a human subject, 
failed to show any alteration of pulse rate due to alcohol. 
RELATION OF ARTERIAL PRESSURE TO THE DURATION OF THE 
SYSTOLE AND DIASTOLE OF THE HEART-BEAT.—The study of the 
by means of which changes of pressure 
m 
Sure, at least within a range so extensive as that included between 
Z aod 160 mms. Høg., have no influence whatever upon the oe 
on of either the systole or diastole of the heart-beat in the dog. 
VOL. XVI1,—no, x 
