1907.] Chloroform in the Blood of Anaesthetised Animals. 311 



are comparable with those given in the following table taken from Nicloux' 

 paper. 



I. Faite aveo une solution 

 alcoolique de chloroforme 

 a 10 grammes par litre 



II. Faite arec une solution 

 alcoolique de chloroforme 

 a 2 grammes par litre 



Poids de chloroforme. 



Mis. 



Trouve. 



Q,uantite 



de chloroforme 



retrouve. 



millegrammes. 



par ce 



5-0 



100 •( 



9-8 



98*1 



19-4 



97 '( 



48-6 



97 •( 



96-0 



96 •< 



4-0 



100-1 



9 9 



99-1 



19 7 



98- 



39-8 



98- 



II. Determination of Chloroform in the Arterial Blood of Anaesthetised 

 Animals by our Method and that of Nicloux (Dumas' Reaction). 



The experiments were conducted on cats. The animals were anaesthetised 

 by ether, and the necessary operations for introducing cannulas into the 

 trachea and carotid artery were performed. The tracheal cannula was fitted 

 to a Chauveau's valve and chloroform administered by a Woulffs bottle. 

 Samples of blood were taken before the administration of chloroform, and at 

 some selected period in the course of the anaesthesia a measured quantity of 

 blood (20 to 30 c.c.) was withdrawn, and this was at once divided up into 

 various proportions for analysis by the two methods. For the purpose of the 

 Mcloux estimations some samples were allowed to clot before estimation,* 

 some were treated with sodium oxalate to prevent clotting, others with 

 hirudin, and others were defibrinated by shaking with mercury. In the case 

 of blood withdrawn at the asphyxial point it is, in the case of cats, very 

 difficult to weigh any sample before clotting takes place, since this occurs 

 with great rapidity. 



1. Experiments in which the Blood was allowed to clot before treatment with 



acidified Alcohol. 



Varying weights of blood were taken on which to carry out duplicate 



experiments. During distillation, the clotted blood was found to become 



detached as a disc of leathery consistence, about the size and thickness of 



* Dr. Nicloux has kindly informed us, by letter, of a detail that we did not gather from 

 his paper, viz., that in his observations the blood is withdrawn with a syringe and 

 immediately mixed with alcohol so that it does not clot en masse. 



