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As a result of these researches we are able to state that the H-ion concentration of the blood its acidity is increased by excessive muscular activity; excessive emotional excitation; surgical shock; in the late stages of infection; by asphyxia; by strychnin convulsions; by inhalation anesthetics; after excision of the pancreas, and in the late stages of life after excision of the liver and excision of the adrenals.
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.
M. L. Menten to determine by electric measurements the H-ion concentration of the blood under certain pathologic and physiologic conditions.
Morphin and decapitation cause no change in the H-ion concentration. Ether, nitrous oxid, and alcohol produce an increased acidity of the blood which is proportional to the depth of anesthesia. Many of the cases studied were near death, as would be expected, since it is well known that a certain degree of acidity is incompatible with life.
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.
These observations lead naturally to the question, May not acidity of itself be the actual final cause of death? In view of these facts may we not find that anesthesia and many instances of unconsciousness are merely phenomena of acidity? As has been stated already, we have found that the H-ion concentration of the blood its acidity is increased by alcohol, by ether, and by nitrous oxid.
In addition our tests have shown that under ether the increase of the H-ion concentration acidity is more gradual than under nitrous oxid, an observation which accords well with the fact that nitrous oxid more quickly induces anesthesia than does ether.
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.
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.
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