ON THE TOXIC ACTION OF CARBON DISULPHIDE

Abstract

1. The change in the density of hydrogen ion in the blood of an intoxicated rabbit, after the inhalation of carbon disulphide gas.The alkaline reaction in the blood of animals is generally so weak, that it may be regarded as neutral. In living animals, while differing slightly in each animal, the density of hydrogen ion remains constant during the life of the animal. But it is well known that, in the case of suffocation which causes the augmentation of carbonic dioxide in the blood, the density increases.The following experiment deals with the difference in density, before the carbon disulphide intoxication, and after cessation of the respiration while the heart beat still continues. In the experiment, the hydrogen elektrode of the potentiometer known as the K type made by Lees and Northrup Co., U. S. A., was used. 1c.c. of blood was taken from the jugular vein of a rabbit into an injection-syringe of 5c.c. capacity, containing a minute quantity of hirudin and 4c.c. of 0.9% physiological sodium chloride solution. They were well mixed in the syringe, and the mixed solution was introduced into the hydrogen elektrode, and examined in a temperature of 20°C.Thus the average result from the eight cases of the same experiment was obtained: -Before the intoxication, the density of hydrogen ion in the blood was Ph 7.59 and immediately after cessation of the respiration caused by the inhalation of carbon disulphide gas, the density was increased to Ph 7.16, and their difference Ph 0.43 show the increase in the density of hydrogen ion in the blood of the intoxicated animals.2. Toxic action of carbon disulphide on the isolated heart of a Japanese toad (bufo japonica).When a rabbit inhalates carbon disulphide gas causes the cessation of respiration, while the heart continues to beat fora few minutes longer. From this, it may be concluded that, carbon disulphide is less poisonous for heart than other well known heart toxins, such as chloroform and carbon tetrachloride, although they resemble each other in chemical composition.The following experiment was performed to compare the toxic action of carbon disulphide on the heart with that of chloroform and carbon tetrachloride. For this purpose a special heart irrigator, made by Prof. Dr. K. Nakajima of Aichi Medical College was used. The apparatus was arranged as follows: -On one side the heart motion was marked upon the rolling cylinder, and on the other side the carbon disulphide gas was introduced into the Ringer solution in the heart irrigator from the gas washing bottle, by means of the negative pressure, of which mention has already been made in the second and third reports.As soon as the carbon disulphide gas was introduced into the Ringer solution in the heart irrigator, the heart beat became irregular and weak, and often stopped; then it grew slower and finally ceased altogether. In most cases the whole course continued for from 1 to 10 minutes. On the contrary, when only air was introduced into the Ringer solution, the heart continued to beat normaly for more than one hour.When the carbon disulphide gas was introduced into the Ringer solution in the heart irrigator, it was condensed into minute drops which sank to the bottom of the irrigator; and according to the heart beat these drops went in and out of the heart. This result having been obtained, 5/10c.c. of carbon disulphide was introduced instead of the gas. This was divided into small drops by the motion of the Ringer solution caused by the heart beat, and passed in and out of the heart. In the last case the toxic action appeared a little sooner than when the gas introduced, but the symptoms were exactly the same in both cases.When chloroform or carbon tetrachloride was used, the heart beat stopped immediately, but it continued for some minutes after carbon disulphide was used.