66 



Scientific Proceedings (97). 



38 (1413) 



Electrical stimulation and C0 2 production in nervous tissue. 



By A. R. Moore. 



[From the Physiological Laboratory of Rutgers College, 

 New Brunswick, N. J.] 



With his barium carbonate precipitation method, Tashiro 1 

 found that the C0 2 output of a frog's nerve more than doubled 

 when stimulated with induction shocks for 10 minutes. In 

 order to avoid certain objections to Tashiro's method, viz., 

 heating effect of the current, 2 and death changes due to the drying 

 of the tissue, the indicator method previously described 3 has been 

 employed. This method permits the tissue to be frequently or 

 even continuously bathed with the Ringer's solution during the 

 experiment. Stimulation was obtained by means of platinum 

 electrodes passed through the cork closing the test-tube, and 

 bent in the form of hooks so that they served as holders. The 

 secondary coil of the Harvard inductorium stood at 12. 



Small strips of the sartorius muscle of the frog served as con- 

 trols. During stimulation with the tetanizing current such a 

 strip was allowed to contract isotonically. In this condition the 

 muscle showed no increase in the rate of CO2 production, but upon 

 relaxation, immediately following stimulation, the rate was ap- 

 proximately doubled. With sciatic nerves and the medulla, 

 however, it was not found possible to produce any significant 

 change in C0 2 production of the tissue with 1-2 minutes stimu- 

 lation. 



1 Tashiro, S., "A Chemical Sign of Life," Chicago, 1917, p. 38. 



2 Lucas, K., "The Conduction of the Nervous Impulse," London, 1917, p. 26. 



3 Moore, A. R., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol, and Med., vol. 16, pp. 35~39. 1918. 



