A NEW TECHNIQUE FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS RECORDING OF OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND CONTRACTION OF MUSCLE: THE EFFECT OF OUABAIN ON CAT PAPILLAHY MUSCLE

¹ Department of Pharmacology, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1. A new method for observing simultaneously the oxygen consumption and force of contraction of muscle is described.

2. Measurements using this method indicate that activity increased the oxygen consumption of hypodynamic cat papillary muscle 52 per cent.

3. Ouabain was observed to increase the force of contraction of cat papillary muscle without a concurrent increase in oxygeum consumption.

4. In the late stages of ouabain action, the contracture and the occurrence of spontaneous contraction appeared practically simultaneously with the increase in oxygen consumption.