The Action of Hydrocele Fluid and Certain Other Pathological Liquids on Some of the Objects Used in Biological Tests for Epinephrin

The question whether the tone-increasing action of serum on intestine and uterus segments is due altogether, or mainly, to the same property of the serum which causes it to constrict artery rings and to slow the stream through the frog perfusion preparation of Laewen 1 was tested by comparing the effect of hydrocele fluid on the four preparations. The typical hydrocele fluid is a transudate which, although containing fibrin.ogen, does not clot spontaneously, or at least not readily, but can be made to clot by the addition of thrombin .or such liquids as blood serum which contain thrombin. Its poverty in thrombin is related to its poverty in formed elements. I f the development of the property in shed blood by which it causes constriction of blood ves'sels is connected .with changes in the formed elements, this property should be absent or very slightly marked in hydrocele fluid. I f in spite of a negative result with blood vessels hydrocele fluid were found to cause an action on intestine and uterus segments comparable in magnitude to that of serum, the conclusion would be decidedly strengthened th.at the action of serum on these latter objects is different in nature from its action on the blood vessel preparation. In the following experiment these expectations were realized. Hydrocele fluid was obtained with such precautions as insured the complete absence of blood. The fluid was the typical non-inflamma,tory hydrocele fluid, perfectly clear and yellowish in color, and it