Comparative Power oj Alcohol, Ether, and Chloroform, etc. 545 



5. No differences have been detected between the hexosephosphoric acids or 

 their salts, whether derived from glucose, fructose, or mannose. 



6. On hydrolysis of the acid by boiling, phosphoric acid is set free and 

 fructose formed. No other hexose could be identified, but the solution, after 

 hydrolysis, was always less laevorotatory than a solution of pure fructose of 

 the same reducing power. 



7. The salts of lead, barium, silver, and calcium have been prepared. 



[The compound containing phosphorus, which was considered to be phenyl- 

 hydrazine phosphate, has since been examined by von Lebedew (' Biochem. 

 Zeits.,' 1909, vol. 20, p. 113), who regards it as a phenyl hydrazido-phosphoric 

 acid compound of hexosazone. A re-examination of this substance by the 

 author leads to the conclusion that it is in reality a derivative of hexose- 

 phosphoric acid, but decisive results as to its constitution have not yet been 

 obtained. — November 15, 1909.] 



The Comparative Power of Alcohol, Ether, and Chloroform as 

 measured by their Action upon Isolated Muscle. 

 By Augustus D. Waller, M.D., F.B.S. 



(Eeceived and Eead June 24, 1909.) 



The object of the following communication is twofold : (1) to present the 

 results of a careful comparison of the physiological effectiveness of certain 

 narcotics, and (2) to illustrate the degree of accuracy of which such com- 

 parisons are susceptible by the systematic use of the sartorius muscle of the 

 frog as an indicator. 



Method. — The two sartorius muscles of a frog are dissected out and the 

 portions of bone to which they are attached are ligatured with fine copper 

 wires serving as conductors. The muscles are set up in the two vessels 

 V, V and connected with two myographic levers that record their movements 

 on two smoked plates L, B. The connections with the secondary coil of an 

 inductorium (Berne model) are as given in the diagram, so that both muscles 

 are traversed in series by the same current in the same direction. The 

 muscles are directly excited once every 10 seconds by maximal break 

 induction shocks. Each observation consists of three parts : a first part 

 consisting of the normal responses of the muscle immersed in normal saline 

 (0 - 6 per 100 NaCl in tap water); a second part consisting of the responses 

 while the muscle is immersed in an experimental solution ; a third part 



