Having established the identity of some, at least, of the organs
which constitute the kinetic chain, we endeavored to secure still
further evidence regarding the energy-transforming function of these
organs by making studies of the H-ion concentration of the blood,
as one would expect, _prima facie_, that the normal reaction would
be altered by kinetic activation.[*]
[*] The H-ion observations were made in my laboratory by Dr. M. L. Menten.
H-ion concentration tests were made after the application
of the adequate stimuli by which the function of the kinetic
organs had been determined, and we studied also the effect upon
the acidity of the blood of strychnin convulsions after destruction
of the medulla; of deep narcotization with morphin before anesthesia;
of deep narcotization with morphin after the H-ion concentration
had already been increased by fear, by anger, by exertion,
by injury under anesthesia, or by anesthesia alone.
The complete data of these experiments will be later reported in
a monograph; here it is sufficient to state that anger, fear, injury,
muscular exertion, inhalation anesthesia, strychnin, alcohol, in fact,
all the stimuli which we had already found to produce histologic
changes in the brain, the adrenals, and the liver-excepting
bacterial toxins--caused increased H-ion concentration.
Of striking significance is the fact that morphin alone caused
no change in the H-ion concentration, while if administered before
the application of a stimulus which by itself produced increased
H-ion concentration, the action of that stimulus was neutralized
or postponed. If, however, morphin was administered after increased
acidity had been produced by any stimulus, or by inhalation anesthesia,
then the time required for the restoration of the normal alkalinity
was much prolonged, and in some instances the power of acid
neutralization was permanently lost.
After excision of the liver, the normal H-ion concentration
was maintained for periods varying from one to several hours,
after which the concentration (acidity) began to increase as
the vitality of the animal began to decline, the concentration
(acidity) increasing rapidly until death. After excision of
the adrenals the blood remained normal for from four to six hours,
when the H-ion concentration increased rather suddenly,
the increase being synchronous with the incidence of the phenomena
which immediately preceded death.
In none of these cases was it determined whether the increased
H-ion concentration was due to other causes of death or whether
death was due to the increased acidity.
It is also significant that after the application of each of
the adequate stimuli which increased the H-ion concentration
of the blood in other parts of the body the blood from the adrenal
vein showed a slight diminution in acidity, as, in most instances,
did the blood from the hepatic vein also.
In fact, the H-ion concentration of the blood in the adrenal vein
was less than in the blood of any other part of the circulation.