8 4 



Scientific Proceedings (80). 



excretion of a strongly alkaline urine, which may persist for a 

 period of twenty-four hours or more. The alkalinity is undoubt- 

 edly due to the presence of carbonates since addition of acid to the 

 urine causes effervescence of carbon dioxide. After the urine has 

 resumed its usual acid character a subsequent injection of morphine 

 may fail to elicit an alkaline urine although the hydrogen ion con- 

 centration may be diminished appreciably. On the day of 

 morphine introduction there is usually a definite increase in the 

 elimination of the total urinary nitrogen. 



Rabbits fasted until they excrete a strongly acid urine show 

 no significant change in the hydrogen ion concentration of the 

 urine nor is the total nitrogen altered even though very large 

 doses (80 mg. per kilo) of morphine are subcutaneously introduced. 

 These results are in accord with the well-known resistance of 

 rabbits to morphine narcosis. 



54 (1232) 



The determination of oxygen in blood. 

 By Donald D. Van Slyke. 



[Hospital of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, N. Y.] 



This requires 5 minutes for human blood, unless a little sapanin 

 has been added to the ammonia, in which case 15 seconds may 

 suffice for the taking. 



The apparatus for determining carbon dioxid in blood, de- 

 scribed in the Proceedings for the meeting April 21, 191 5, can be 

 used with equal facility and accuracy for determination of oxygen. 

 6 c.c. of ammonia made by diluting the concentrated solution with 

 200 parts of water, are introduced into the apparatus with 5 drops 

 of caprylic alcohol. The apparatus is evacuated and the air ex- 

 tracted from the ammonia by shaking for a few seconds. The 

 extracted air is expelled and the process completed to make certain 

 that none is left. 



2 c.c. of blood are then introduced. The blood and ammonia 

 are mixed and allowed to stand until the blood is laked. Then 

 half a c.c. of saturated potassium ferricyanide solution is in- 



