GENETICS: MACDOWELL AND VICARl 
577 
1 Friedrich Kohlrausch, Gesammelte Abhandlungen, Leipzig, 1911. 
2 Kraus, C. A., and Bray, W. C, /. Amer. Chem. Soc, Easton, Pa., 35, 1913, (1412). 
3 Wegscheider, Zs. physik. Chem., Leipzig, 69, 1909, (603). 
4 Noyes, A. A., and Falk, K. G., /. Amer. Chem. Soc, Easton, Pa., 34, 1912, (461). 
5 Washburn, E. W., and Bell, J. E., Ihid., 35, 1913, (177); Washburn, Ihid. 38, 1916, 
(2431); Washburn and Parker, K., Ihid 39, 1917, (235). 
6 Weiland, H. J., Urhana, Univ. III. Theses, 1917. 
Bates, S. J., personal communication to the, writer. See Washburn's Introduction to 
the Principles of Physical Chemistry, New York, 1915, p. 216. Bates does not propose his 
function as a basis for selecting the value of Aq. For this purpose he employs a method which, 
while based upon substantially the same character of assumptions as the one adopted by 
the writer and giving nearly the same results, does not seem so direct and simple in its appli- 
cation. See Bates, /. Amer. Chem. Soc, Easton, Pa., 35, 1913, (526). 
ON THE GROWTH AND FECUNDITY OF ALCOHOLIZED RATS 
By E. C. MacDowell and E. M. Vicari 
STATION FOR EXPERIMENTAL EVOLUTION, COLD SPRING HARBOR. N. Y. 
Communicated by C. B. Davenport, August 16, 1917 
In the course of an experiment conducted primarily for a different 
purpose, we have obtained data upon the effect of large doses of in- 
haled alcohol on the growth and fecundity of a series of albino rats. 
From the time of weaning (28 days) the alcohol was administered daily. 
Except for the first few weeks when the doses were lighter, the rats 
were left in the inhalation tanks till they could no longer stand upon 
their feet and could move but very feebly, if at all. The purpose was 
to give as heavy a dose as possible without killing the animal. This 
took different times for different rats, and the time required on different 
days varied according to the intensity of the alcohol vapor in the tanks. 
No data were recorded as to the time required to regain normal activity, 
but it may be said in general that this was roughly a matter of three 
to four hours. 
For each rat alcoholized, a normal control from the same litter and 
of the same sex was raised. These controls were kept in companion 
cages adjacent to their corresponding alcoholic sibs. Except for the 
alcohol treatment, all the rats were given the same care and attention. 
Weekly weighings were made of all the rats and individual growth 
curves were plotted. From these curves the weights at the ages given 
in the standard growth curves of Donaldson were estimated. In mak- 
ing these estimations, allowances were made for temporary losses in 
weight due to food conditions or minor illnesses; in doing this the whole 
curve of the individual was considered as well as the curves of its sibs 
and the standard Wistar curves. The weights so obtained were aver- 
aged for the two groups of rats, and these averages plotted in figure L 
