THE SYNERGISM BETWEEN THE BARBITURATES AND ETHYL ALCOHOL

¹ Department of Pharmacology, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond

1. The LD50 of sodium seconal given orally to mice was found to be 140 mgm. /Kg.; when administered in combination with alcohol (4.2 cc. 95 per cent per Kg.) the LD50 was lowered to 105 mgm./Kg.

2. The presence of 4.2 cc. of 95 per cent alcohol/Kg. materially increased the per cent mortality resulting from standard oral doses of sodium seconal, sodium pentobarbital, and sodium barbital in mice.

3. The anesthetic dose of sodium pentothal for dogs was reduced from 10.9 to 6.9 mgm./Kg. by previous oral administration of 1.5 cc. 95 per cent alcohol/Kg. and from 10.2 to 5.3 mgm./Kg. by 3 cc. 95 per cent alcohol/Kg. Duration of anesthesia resulting from sodium pentothal injection was greatly increased in the presence of alcohol.

4. The minimal anesthetic dose of sodium pentothal when given one, two and three hours after administration of alcohol were not strikingly different. The duration of anesthesia after a fixed dose of sodim pentothal in the presence of alcohol was greatest when given one hour after alcohol and least when given three hours after administration of alcohol.

5. The onset of anesthesia from injection of sodium barbital appeared to be delayed by the presence of alcohol. The duration of anesthesia resulting from the injection of sodium barbital was materially increased by the presence of alcohol.

6. The disposition in the body of alcohol appeared not to be influenced by the presence of sodium barbital. Conversely, the blood level of sodium barbital was not altered by the presence of alcohol.

7. Picrotoxin was found less efficient as an analeptic in rabbits given sodium pentobarbital plus alcohol than in those given sodium pentobarbital alone.