1893.] 



a Research on their Pharmacology. 



401 



(Enantliol also dilates the vessels of the tortoise, bat, provided the 

 spinal cord be intact, by no means so markedly as the vessels of the 

 excised kidney. Pithing the cord balances the comparison, for then 

 the tortoise's vessels are dilated by cenanthol to as great a degree 

 as those of the excised kidney. (Enanthol has, therefore, its local 

 vaso-dilating action inhibited by a central action exerted through the 

 spinal cord. 



All these fatty aldehydes have essentially the same action on the 

 heart, the difference between them being simply one of degree. 

 They all tend to slow the cardiac rhythm, and have a primary tonic 

 and secondary depressant action. As the atomic weight of the 

 aldehyde increases, weaker solutions are required to show the tonic 

 effect, and the arrest in diastole is more quickly reached. 



Ethylaldoxime, CH 3 -CH:]TOH. 

 Projpylaldoxime, C 3 H 6 !NOH. 

 Isobutylaldoxime, 04H 8 !NOH. 

 (E ' nanthaldoxime, C 7 H 14 '.NOH. 



Contrasting now the actions of the fatty aldehydes with the actions 

 of their corresponding aldoximes as observed by similar experimenta- 

 tions, it is seen how closely these latter bodies reflect the combined 

 actions of a nitrite and aldehyde. 



These fatty aldoximes depress the irritability of voluntary muscle. 

 This depressant action is also possessed by nitrites and by aldehyde. 

 Ethylaldehyde has also a slight primary stimulant action, but this in 

 the aldoxime molecule is for the most part absent, being counter- 

 acted by the oxime group. 



The aldoximes diminish the extensibility, the elasticity, and the 

 range of coutraction of voluntary muscle, actions also possessed both 

 by aldehyde and nitrite. 



Ethylaldoxime has rarely produced an initial increased range of 

 contraction, which initial increase is a usual effect of ethylaldehyde, 

 but might be annulled by nitrites. 



The latent period is not affected by nitrites. Under the influence 

 of both aldehydes and aldoximes there is a primary shortening of 

 this period. 



Again, these fatty aldoximes differ amongst themselves in their 

 action on voluntary muscle exactly as do the corresponding alde- 

 hydes. As the series is ascended the action on voluntary muscle 

 becomes more toxic, as seen firstly in the increasing degree of con- 

 tracture, and secondly in the more rapid loss of irritability. 



In their action on the spinal cord they present the same characters 

 and variations as those possessed by the corresponding aldehydes. 

 Comparison simply shows a more marked primary stimulation in the 



