SCIENTIFIC PROCEEDINGS. 



Abstracts of Communications. 



Fifty-first meeting. 



The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, December 18, 1912. 

 President Ewing in the chair. 



16 (712) 



The effect of strychnin in cardiectomized frogs with destroyed 

 lymph hearts ; a demonstration. 



By S. J. Meltzer. 



[From the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology of the 

 Rockefeller Institute.] 



In several communications we have reported that the injec- 

 tion of solutions of strychnin, morphin or acid fuchsin in cardiec- 

 tomized frogs is liable to bring on convulsions of these animals. 

 The lymph hearts continue to beat for a while after the cardiec- 

 tomy. But since the lymph hearts assist the circulation only 

 by emptying their contents into veins, it seemed to be evident 

 that the removal of the blood heart eliminates also the circulatory 

 function of the lymph hearts. I have therefore assumed that 

 the above mentioned alkaloids reach the central nervous system 

 by way of the lymph spaces, which are connected throughout 

 the body, and which are capable of serving as a path for dis- 

 tribution by means of a peripheral mechanism. In a recent 

 paper by Abel (Jour, of Pharmacology, III, 581, 1912) in which 

 our facts were confirmed and in which it was admitted that the 

 activity of the posterior lymph hearts can not come into con- 

 sideration, the statement was made that "the appearance of 

 convulsions in the experiments of Meltzer and his pupils with 

 acid fuchsin, morphin and strychnin depends entirely on the 

 integrity of the anterior lymph hearts." This statement is sup- 

 ported by a report of experiments in which, after destruction of 



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