peroxide in a bottle at 22°C. and as the oxygen gas was liberated, it was conducted through a rubber tube to an inverted burette previously filled with water. After the volume of gas thus collected had been

Fig. 1. Curves showing effect of alcohol on the catalase content of the blood. The figures along the abscissa (0 to 165) indicate time in minutes, while the figures along the ordinate (0 to 75) represent amounts of catalase indicated in cubic centimeters of oxygen liberated from hydrogen peroxide in ten minutes by 0.5 cc. of blood.

reduced to standard atmospheric pressure, the resulting volume was taken as a measure of the amount of catalase in the 0.5 cc. of blood.

Curve 1 was constructed from data obtained from a dog after the introduction of 150 cc. of 60 per cent ethyl alcohol into the stomach of

the animal. It will be seen that 0.5 cc. of the samples of blood taken during the thirty-minute interval at the beginning of the experiment and before any alcohol had been introduced into the stomach of the animal, liberated 51 cc. and 51 cc. of oxygen respectively from hydrogen peroxide in ten minutes; that fifteen minutes after the alcohol had been introduced or at the end of the forty-five minute period, 0.5 cc. of the blood liberated 65 cc. of oxygen, while thirty minutes after the introduction of the alcohol, it liberated 75 cc. of oxygen. By comparing the amount of oxygen liberated by the blood previous to the introduction of alcohol with that after the introduction of alcohol, it will be seen that the amount of oxygen had increased from 51 to 75 cc. Curve 2 was constructed from data obtained from a dog after the introduction of 20 cc. of 30 per cent ethyl alcohol at intervals of thirty minutes. It will be seen that 0.5 cc. of blood of the two samples taken previous to the introduction of alcohol liberated 48 and 48 cc. of oxygen respectively from hydrogen peroxide; that after the introduction of alcohol the amount of oxygen liberated increased from 48 cc., the normal, to 74 cc., the amount liberated by the sample of blood after the dog had been under the influence of alcohol for one hundred and thirty-five minutes.

The question that naturally arises in this connection is, how does the introduction of alcohol into the stomach bring about an increase in the catalase of the blood? Since the alcohol is absorbed directly from the alimentary tract into the blood, the answer that suggests itself is that the increased catalase may be due to the direct action of the alcohol on the blood, or to the stimulating effect of the alcohol on the liver thus increasing the output of catalase from this organ.

The following experiment was carried out to determine if the increase in catalase was due to the direct action of the alcohol on the blood. To 18 cc. of defibrinated dog's blood 2 cc. of 95 per cent ethyl alcohol were added. The data from which curve 4 was constructed were obtained from determinations of the catalase of this blood. Two determinations of the catalase of 0.5 cc. of the blood were made previous to the addition of the alcohol, while the remaining determinations were made at intervals of fifteen minutes after the addition of the alcohol. It will be seen that 0.5 cc. of the blood before the addition of the alcohol, liberated 40 cc. and 40 cc. of oxygen respectively; that after the addition of alcohol, the catalase of the blood decreased as is indicated by a decrease from 40 cc. of oxygen, the amount liberated previous to the addition of alcohol, to 24 cc. of oxygen, the amount liberated by 0.5

cc. of the blood ninety minutes after the addition of the alcohol. This observation is interpreted to mean that alcohol of this concentration destroys the catalase of the blood. It might be said in this connection that several other experiments were carried out using much weaker as well as much greater concentrations of alcohol, and it was found that the effect of alcohol was to destroy the catalase, the rate of destruction being faster the greater the concentration.

The data for curve 3 were obtained from a dog into whose jugular vein 40 per cent ethyl alcohol was introduced at the rate of approximately 1 cc. per minute. Previous to the introduction of the alcohol, the catalase content of two samples of the blood was determined. It will be seen that 0.5 cc. of these samples liberated 45 cc. and 46 cc. oxygen respectively from hydrogen peroxide in ten minutes. Fifteen minutes after the introduction of alcohol into the blood, a determination of the catalase content of 0.5 cc. was made. Similarly determinations were made after thirty, forty-five, sixty, seventy-five, ninety, one hundred and five, and one hundred and twenty minutes respectively. It will be seen that the introduction of alcohol into the blood through the jugular vein decreased the catalase of the blood after two hours by 33 per cent as is indicated by a decrease in the amount of oxygen liberated from 45 to 30 cc. This observation is interpreted to mean that the introduction of alcohol into the blood vessels of the living animal destroys the catalase of the blood.

The question why the introduction of alcohol into the blood from the alimentary tract should increase the catalase, while the introduction of alcohol directly into the blood vessels should decrease the catalase, naturally arises. One answer that suggests itself is that when the alcohol is absorbed from the alimentary tract and is carried directly to the liver, it may stimulate this organ to an increased output of catalase. If this explanation is the correct one, then the introduction of alcohol into the portal blood should increase the output of catalase from the liver. Accordingly, experiments were carried out to see if this were true. By means of a hypodermic needle attached to a burette by a piece of rubber tube, 40 per cent ethyl alcohol was introduced into the portal blood at the rate of approximately 1 cc. per minute. while the catalase of the blood taken from the external jugular was determined at intervals of fifteen minutes. For comparison the catalase of the blood was determined after fifteen and thirty minute intervals at the beginning of the experiment before the introduction of the alcohol. It will be seen in curve 5 that 0.5 cc. of these samples of blood liberated

36 and 35 cc. of oxygen in ten minutes. After the thirty-minute interval, the alcohol was injected at the rate stated. It will be seen that the effect of the injection into the portal vein was not to increase the catalase of the blood as was expected, but to decrease it as is indicated by the decrease in the amount of oxygen liberated by 0.5 cc. of the different samples of blood. Why the absorption of alcohol from the alimentary tract should produce an increase in the catalase of the blood, while the introduction of alcohol into the portal vein produced a decrease, I am not as yet prepared to state.

As a result of the experiments reported in this paper, it is assumed that in so far as the absorption of alcohol from the alimentary tract produces an increase in the catalase of the blood resulting presumably in an increase in oxidation, just so far alcohol exerts a stimulating effect, while in so far as the accumulation of alcohol in the blood in prolonged intoxication or the introduction of alcohol directly into the blood destroys catalase, resulting presumably in a decrease in oxidation, just so far alcohol exerts a depressing effect.

SUMMARY

The introduction of alcohol into the stomach greatly increases the catalase of the blood, while the introduction of alcohol directly into the vascular system decreases the catalase of the blood. The decrease in catalase produced by the introduction of alcohol directly into the blood is due to the destruction of the catalase by the alcohol. Further work is necessary before an explanation can be given for the increase in the catalase of the blood when alcohol is absorbed from the alimentary tract into the blood.

HAEMODYNAMICAL STUDIES

RUSSELL BURTON-OPITZ

From the Department of Physiology of Columbia University, at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York

Received for publication October 19, 1917

I. THE BLOODFLOW DURING IMMERSION IN COLD WATER

These experiments purposing to show the influence of immersion in cold water upon the flow of the blood, were performed upon small dogs during light ether narcosis. In each case the animal was placed in a small bath tub with the shoulders and head elevated in such a way that the body could be covered later on with water without interfering with respiration. A stromuhr1 was then inserted in the left common carotid artery. The central cannula of this instrument was connected with a mercury manometer for the registration of the general arterial presThe respiratory movements were recorded by means of a simple stethographic arrangement.

sure.

The procedure followed in these experiments consisted in the determination of the bloodflow under normal conditions and during the immersion of the animal in water of 25 to 32°C. Lower temperatures than these were not employed, because the muscular reactions then usually resulting, tended to increase the general blood pressure very abruptly, and also interfered with the registration of the bloodflow in a mechanical way. I have sought to duplicate upon these animals merely those tonic reactions which one ordinarily experiences in baths of 32 to 34°C. In illustration of the results I insert in this place a table giving the values of the carotid bloodflow and of the arterial pressure as determined by experiment 2 of this series. The immersion was continued in this case during a period of about ten minutes. The water was cooled to 28°C. A comparison of the values before and after the immersion shows very clearly that the cool water exerts a favorable influence upon the bloodflow and that the increased flow is associated with a well marked rise in the systemic pressure and a slight acceleration of the respiratory movements.

1 The recording stromuhr described by Burton-Opitz was employed (Pflüger's Arch., 1908, cxxi, 150).