On the Reduction of Toxicity of Strychnin. ioi 



only to the strong rise which sets in, as is known, immediately 

 after injection of that substance. With the onset of the descent 

 of pressure the depressor action of the depressor nerve becomes 

 more and more effective. Here the inefficiency of the stimulation 

 of the depressor may be due merely to the inability of the de- 

 pressor nerve to overcome the high pressure. It is different, 

 however, with the action of the hypophysis. Here the rise of 

 blood pressure develops as a rule, gradually and sometimes it is 

 even preceded by a fall. Furthermore in some instances the rise 

 is comparatively insignificant. Nevertheless in all these condi- 

 tions there is definite evidence of a striking reduction of the 

 irritability of the depressor. We are therefore, for the present, 

 inclined to look upon the discovered reduction of the irritability of 

 the depressor nerve as a confirmation of our hypothesis that the 

 infundibular portion of the hypophysis reduces the irritability 

 of vasodilators. We may mention that studies upon the vaso- 

 motor effects of stimulations of the central end of the vagus nerve 

 in dogs, which we.shall not discuss here in detail, seem to furnish 

 a further confirmation of this view. As to the locality where the 

 hypophysis develops its action, whether upon the central or periph- 

 eral mechanisms or upon both, we shall not discuss at present. 



73 (682) 



On the reduction of toxicity of strychnin by the simultaneous 

 administration of large quantities of fluid. 



By I. S. KLEINER and S. J. MELTZER. 



[From the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology of the 

 Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.] 



In the course of some experiments on adrenalin glycosuria in 

 which the simultaneous injection of blood, serum or lymph with 

 adrenalin was studied, it became manifest that the significance 

 of the factor of dilution had to be previously established. It was 

 thought that the study of the effect of dilution upon strychnin 

 poisoning would throw some light upon this. The definite and 

 instructive results which were obtained will be stated here very 

 briefly. 



