Comparative Physiology of the Suprarenal Capsules. Ill 



obtained from suprarenal capsules.* The extracts were made sepa- 

 rately from cortex and medulla, and injected subcntaneously into 

 various mammals. It was noted that the injection of medullary 

 material was invariably fatal if a sufficiently large dose were 

 administered, while the cortical extracts produced no appreciable 

 physiological effects. 



In the present communication the above views have been corrobo- 

 rated by testing the effects of the two kinds of gland in Elasmo- 

 branchs and of the cortical suprarenals of Teleosts, when extracts of 

 them are injected subcutaneously into small mammals. Naturally 

 only very small quantities of material have been available for this 

 purpose, but the effects upon mice have been quite definite. 



The suprarenal bodies obtained from six specimens of Gadus 

 morrhua (weighing in a moist state 0*4 gram) were extracted by 

 boiling. The filtered extract was then injected beneath the skin of 

 the back of a mouse. ~No effects whatever supervened. 



Again, the paired bodies from seven specimens of Scyllium canicula 

 (weighing when moist 0*3 gram) were similarly extracted, and the 

 filtrate administered to the same mouse (which had remained in 

 perfect health) a few days later. The animal was immediately and 

 powerfully affected. The breathing became very rapid, the limbs 

 became weak, the temperature lowered, and death ensued after con- 

 vulsions in less than five minutes. 



The interrenal gland produced no effects when similarly adminis- 

 tered. 



[A further experiment with material obtained from Raja clavata 

 has been performed. The "axillary hearts " (anterior paired bodies) 

 were removed from three fair-sized specimens, and found to weigh in 

 a moist state 0*2 gram. The interrenal bodies were also removed, 

 and weighed also 2 gram. Extracts were then prepared of each of 

 these, and injected subcutaneously into two separate mice of as 

 nearly as possible the same weight. The mouse which was injected 

 with the extract from the paired suprarenals, was affected in a few 

 minutes. The respirations were very quick at first, afterwards 

 becoming slower and slower. Paralysis quickly came on, first in the 

 hind limbs. All the four limbs were distinctly stiffened before death, 

 which supervened in two hours after injection. 



The other mouse, injected with extract of interrenal, died about 

 24 hours after injection. f — November 15.] 



These experiments afford further positive evidence of the homology 



* ' Physiol. Soc. Proc.,' June 12, 1897 j ' Journ. of Physiol.,' vol. 22 (Nos. 1 and 

 2, Sept. 1), 1897. 



f This result must be attributed to contamination with the paired bodies, and is 

 analogous to the effect one sometimes obtains upon the blood-pressure when 

 interrenal extract is injected intravenously. 



