INTRA VENOUS INJECTION OE SUPRARENAL EXTRACT 95 1 
showed itself in very slow and languid movements. This may, however, 
be due to the veratrine-like effect which the extract produces upon 
muscular tissue (see below). The subject has been worked at more 
recently in my laboratory by Swale Vincent. 1 who has performed 
a large number of experiments upon various animals, and has not only 
confirmed most of our results, but has added several other facts. 
Vincent commonly obtained fatal results in guinea-pigs with doses of 
6 grins, of fresh gland. In rabbits he found the results to be inconstant. 
The hind-limbs become paralysed before the fore-limbs in all animals 
investigated. Doses insufficient to cause a fatal result produce im- 
munity to larger doses which would otherwise be fatal, and this effect may 
last a few weeks. The action is produced by the medulla of the gland 
only ; extracts of a large number of other organs and tissues were tried, 
but none produced any effect when injected hypodermically (Vincent). 
Intravenous injection. — The intravenous injection of suprarenal 
extract produces a powerful physiological action upon the muscular 
system in general, but especially upon the muscular walls of the blood 
vessels, and the muscular wall of the heart. A certain amount of action 
is also manifested 
upon some of the 
nerve centres in 
the bulb, especi- 
ally the cardio- 
inhibitory centre, 
and to a less 
extent upon the 
res p i r a 1 r y 
centre. 2 
Act i on on 
skeletal muscle. — 
The effect upon 
the skeletal 
muscles is well 
shown in the frog 
(Fig. 87), andean 
also be seen in 
mammals. The 
F10. 87. — Effect of suprarenal extract upon muscle contraction in 
the frog. A, Normal muscle curve of gastrocnemius ; B, Curve 
taken during suprarenal poisoning, but otherwise under the same 
conditions as A. Time tracing, 100 per sec. 3 
contraction of the muscle in response to a single excitation of its nerve 
1 Journ. Phi/slot., Cambridge and London, ISO", vol. xxii. p. 111. 
2 Oliver and Schafer, " Proc. Physiol. Soc," March 1894 {Journ. Physiol., Cambridge 
and Loudou, vol. xvi.) ; "Proc. Physiol. Soc," March 189.3 {ibid., vol. xvii.). These 
were preliminary communications. The detailed account of the experiments is to he found 
in the Journ. Physiol., Cambridge and London, vol. xviii. pp. 230-276. The chemical 
work in connection with our experiments was carried out by Moore ; his papers on the 
subject will be found referred to by Halliburton, on pp. 90-92. Since the first com- 
munication to the Physiological Society there have appeared a large number of papers 
on the subject, for the most part confirming the results there announced. The follow- 
ing are some of these— Szvmonowicz, Anz. d. Akad. d. Wiss. in Krakau, February 
1895; Arch. f. d. g<-s. Physiol., Bonn, 1896, Bd. Ixiv. S. 97; Cybulski, Gar., lek., 
"Warszawa, and Anz. d. Akad. d. Wiss. in Krakau, 1895, reported in Centra lb/, f. Physiol.. 
Leipzig u. Wien, 1895, S. 172 ; A T elich, Wien. med. BL, 1896 ; Biedl, Anz. d. k. k. Gcs. d. 
Aerzte, in Wien, 1896, and Arch. f. d. yes. Physiol., Bonn, 1897, Bd. lxvii. ; Gottlieb, Arch, 
f. exper. Path. u. Pharmakol., Leipzig, 1896, S. 99; Ocana. Act. d. I. soc. ay. d. Hist. 
Nat., Madrid, 1897. 
3 Figs. 87, 88, 89, 90, and 91 are taken from the Journ. Physiol., Cambridge and 
London. 1895, vol. xviii. No. 3. 
