200 



Scientific Proceedings (68). 



weight killed rabbits. In his experiments he introduced these 

 quantities very slowly. The heart action was depressed, but 

 continued longer than the respiratory function. 



We have given rabbits sodium oleate intravenously. A 5 per 

 cent, solution of anhydrous sodium oleate (Merck) in normal 

 saline was used. The soap solution was injected into the ear 

 veins in a single and rapidly given dose. Doses of 0.1 sodium 

 oleate per kilo appeared very irritating, the muscles of the extremi- 

 ties were thrown into spastic contractions and the animal had 

 convulsive seizures. The ill effects lasted for a minute and a half 

 when the animal would show great depression with rapid breath- 

 ing. The muscles then became quite limp; within an hour the 

 animal was fully recovered. Doses of 0.13 gram per kilo weight 

 were fatal. These animals would sometimes enter a convulsive 

 seizure before the injection was completely made. The blood of 

 these animals after death was not perceptibly laked and it would 

 appear that in the animal body the quality of laking and that of 

 toxicity were separate. When, however, the solution of sodium 

 oleate was mixed with an equal quantity of cholesterin the toxic 

 qualities were inhibited. This cholesterin sodium oleate mixture 

 was prepared by adding 5 per cent, cholesterin to a previously 

 prepared 5 per cent, solution of sodium oleate in normal saline, 

 and heating in a water bath for several hours. A milky and 

 permanent emulsion was thus obtained which was found to con- 

 tain no free cholesterin but was filled with great numbers of 

 anisotropic bodies. These bodies are probably cholesterin- 

 sodium-oleate compounds and are not the pure cholesterin esters 

 described by others. This emulsion may be inoculated intra- 

 venously in doses containing double the quantity of the lethal 

 sodium oleate. Irritating effects were still observed in spastic 

 muscular contractions but there were transient. The emulsion 

 inoculated intraperitoneally produced some inflammatory reaction 

 with slight fibrin exudate. A single intravenous dose led to no 

 permanent injury in the animal, but repeated inoculations every 

 second day, led to much wasting, so that one animal in a period of 

 twelve days lost 900 grams. Such animals when set at rest 

 rapidly recovered. It is possible that the toxicity of the soap 

 solution may be still further masked by increasing the cholesterin 



