Action of Heavy Metals on Isolated Intestine. 15 



the total NH 3 of the urine was increased. When the alkali and 

 the acid were left out of the diet the normal level for the NH 3 of 

 the urine was reached in a short time. 



c. Estimation of the NH 3 -content of Ewald meal juice from 

 26 individuals with gastric disturbances, supposedly ulcers, was 

 made and in only five of these was the NH-content markedly 

 increased. In two of these cases the diagnosis of carcinoma of 

 the stomach was made with certainty; in another case a diagnosis 

 of ulcer with obstruction was made and in the remaining 2 cases 

 a diagnosis of gastric ulcer was made. Further work is being 

 conducted along this line with the view of determining the source 

 and the significance of the gastric juice ammonia. 



11 (1075) 



The action of heavy metals on the isolated intestine. 



By William Salant and C. W. Mitchell. 



[From the Pharmacological Laboratory of the Bureau of Chemistry, 

 Washington, D. C] 



In experiments with zinc which was used in the form of the 

 malate and carried out on isolated segments of the intestines of 

 cats and rabbits by the method of Magnus it was found that even 

 low concentrations may produce depression of muscular activity. 

 A solution iV/20,000 zinc malate, proved to be quite active in some 

 experiments. iV/10,000 and Nj 5,000 zinc malate produced, after 

 a brief preliminary stimulation, considerable decrease and some- 

 times irregularity of the force of rhythmic contractions. Occa- 

 sionally decrease of frequency and tonus were also observed. 



When the segments of the intestine were suspended in pure 

 Locke solution again, some improvement occurred, although 

 it had been acted upon by zinc 45-70 minutes. In experi- 

 ments with concentrations of iV/1,000 and iV/500 and sometimes 

 even with iV/2,000 permanent injury to the tissues may be caused 

 by the metal as no recovery could be observed when pure Locke 

 solution was substituted for one containing zinc. 



The action of nickel employed in the form of the acetate was 

 also tested. Dilute solutions, 7V/io,ooo and iV/5,000 produced 



