168 
IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Voi,. XXVIII, 1921 
TABLE 1. 
Alcohols 
Concentrations 
OE Alcohols (Vol. Per Cent) 
Volume 
Per Cent 
Volume 
Per Cent 
Volume 
Per Cent 
Volume 
Per Cent 
Volume 
Per Cent 
Methyl 
Strong 
50 
29.1 
20.8 
12.4 
Ethyl 
95 
50 
17.2 
9.1 
7.4 
N-Propyl’ 
Strong 
Saturated 
13.3 
5.9 
3.7 
N-Butyl 
Strong 
Saturated 
4.7 
3.4 
1.7 
N-Amyl 
Strong 
Saturated 
1.1 
0.5 
0.2 
Heptyl 
Strong 
Saturated 
1.6 
0.7 
.04 
S-Octyl 
Strong 
Saturated 
0.62 
0.29 
0.15 
Capryl 
Strong 
Saturated 
0.50 
0.15 
0.05 
The alcohols were diluted with distilled water. Under the con- 
ditions of experiments the muscles when immersed in physiologi- 
cal salt solution gave the typical initial contracture (treppe) 
phase for four or five strokes of the lever, followed by a decided 
relaxation phase longer in duration during which time an in- 
creased responsiveness was apparent. The second contracture 
phase develops regularly after the space of about half a minute, 
and the muscle shortens in such a way as to show a fall in the 
general contour of the top of the curve, accompanied by a grad- 
ual rise in the lower portion of the record. A typical record of 
this kind is shown in figure 12 of plate II. A similar series of 
phases occurs when the muscle is stimulated in air, but there 
being in this case no impediment in resistance to overcome by the 
muscle in its contraction the resulting curve is comparatively 
larger as is shown in figure 6. The superimposed lighter curve 
in this case results from the “make shocks” while the larger and 
darker area is caused by the more intense “break shocks”. The 
mean time necessary to fatigue a muscle either in physiological 
salt solution or in air was found to be about four minutes, as re- 
corded by the chronometer beating half minutes, basing the cal- 
culation arbitrarily upon the point at which the lower margin of 
the second contracture phase begins its final descent. 
Methyl alcohol. — Strong methyl alcohol is markedly stimulat- 
ing during the first few induced contractions (perhaps a dozen 
strokes of the lever), but its toxic effect is immediately notice- 
able and the progress of the second contracture is rapidly com- 
pleted, the whole taking place in less than two minutes. A typi- 
cal curve using this alcohol is shown in figure 1. 
Methyl alcohol in strength of 50 vol. per cent, (Fig. 2) pro- 
duces a rather uniform curve. The initial contracture phase is 
noticeably lacking, with an accompanying relaxation phase ap- 
