Gastrointestinal Movements. 



87 



Most of the experiments in which pressure was not permitted 

 to go below 50 or 60 mm. Hg gave negative results. A few of the 

 handling experiments were exceptions. 



These negative experiments served as controls, indicating that 

 the anesthetizing and general operative procedure did not bring 

 about the results obtained. 



To be certain that the results were due to the presence in the 

 blood of the secretion of the adrenal gland and not to the secretion 

 of some other organ, for example the pituitary body, the adrenals 

 were ligatured in such a way that while the blood from the lumbar 

 branch of the adrenal vein was permitted to enter the vena cava, 

 no material could pass from the adrenal organ into the circulation. 



Only negative results were obtained under these circumstances. 



These experiments, therefore, seem to indicate that an in- 

 creased activity of the adrenals accompanies a somewhat pro- 

 longed low blood pressure condition. 



51 (i"5) 



On the augmenting action of ergotoxine (Dale and Barger) on the 

 gastrointestinal movements. 



By S. J. Meltzer and T. S. Githens 



[From the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology of the 

 Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.] 



About ten years ago Meltzer and Auer 1 reported animal experi- 

 ments in which intravenous injection of ergot augmented strongly 

 the spontaneous movements of the gastrointestinal canal and 

 increased the motor responsiveness of the canal to vagus stimu- 

 lation. In these experiments a fluid extract of ergot (U. S. P.) 

 was used. At about the same time Dale and Barger succeeded 

 in isolating from ergot an alkaloid which they named ergotoxine. 

 In their interesting publication on that preparation a year later 

 they ascribed the characteristic physiological effects of ergot to 

 the presence of this alkaloid. With reference to the action upon 

 the gastrointestinal movements they emphatically state that the 

 effect is comparatively slight and inconstant, and believe that 



1 Amer. Jour, of Physiol., XVII, 143, 1906. 



