9 6 



Scientific Proceedings (57). 



55 (872) 



The convulsant action of strychnin and morphin in cardiectomized 

 frogs after destruction of the anterior lymph hearts. 



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



[From the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology of the 

 Rockefeller Institute.] 



Meltzer has shown several years ago that in cardiectomized 

 frogs strychnin causes convulsions nearly as well as in normal 

 frogs and morphin causes convulsions even a good deal sooner 

 and with smaller doses. We have shown later that low tempera- 

 ture is an important factor in the success of these experiments. 

 About a year and a half ago, Abel, while admitting the facts, 

 made the statement that the success in these experiments depends 

 upon the activity of the anterior lymph hearts. At the meeting 

 of December, 1912, Meltzer demonstrated cardiectomized frogs 

 with destroyed lymph hearts in strychnin convulsions. The 

 method of complete evisceration employed in these experiments 

 produced, however, such a complete shock that there was a success 

 only in a certain percentage of the experiments. We now em- 

 ployed another method. After destruction of the anterior lymph 

 hearts in normal anesthetized frogs, the animals are permitted to 

 fully recover from the anesthetic and the operation, and the blood 

 heart is removed either a few hours later on the same day or next 

 day. The success is now nearly 100 per cent. The animals have, 

 of course, to be kept at a fairly low temperature. The success 

 is now positive although practically all the injections are made now 

 in the lymph sacs surrounding the thigh and the solution has to 

 travel a longer distance before it reaches the upper end of the cord. 

 You see here frogs in strong tetanus which received strychnin or 

 morphin several hours ago. After evisceration you can see now 

 that the anterior lymph hearts were destroyed. It is evident that 

 the anterior lymph hearts have nothing to do with the convulsive 

 action of strychnin and morphin in cardiectomized frogs. 



