Abstract
Studies were made by the authors on the behavior of white rats in Watson's circular maze. All the drugs were administered by subcutaneous or intraperitoneal injections. The following drugs were studied; acetanilid, acetphenetidin, antipyrin, pyramidon, sodium salicylate, phenyl salicylate or salol and quinine sulphate.
Acetanilid was administered in doses from 1 to 5 milligrams and was found to produce depression. Phenacetin also produced depression but not to the same extent. Salol in small doses produced no effect; larger doses (5 milligrams) caused slight depression. Sodium salicylate caused slight depression. Quinine produced depression when administered in doses from 21/2 to 5 milligrams. Antipyrin was found to be most depressing of all even when the doses were 2 milligrams. Pyramidon was also depressing but not to the same extent.
The following combinations were studied: acetanilid plus sodium bicarbonate, acetanilid plus phenacetin, sodium salicylate plus salol, phenacetin plus pyramidon, acetanilid plus pyramidon and salol plus acetanilid.
It was found that acetanilid plus phenacetin and salol plus sodium salicylate combinations gave a summation effect, whereas phenacetin plus pyramidon and acetanilid plus pyramidon exhibited synergistic phenomena. The most striking combinations were acetanilid plus bicarbonate of soda and acetanilid plus salol. In the case of each of these combinations acetanilid was not as depressent as when given alone.
The effect of opiates on the behavior of rats has already been published. Investigations are in the process of completion concerning the effect of the following drugs on the memory and behavior of rats in the maze: alcohol, caffeine and nicotine; cocaine and its decomposition products; digitaloid drugs and some others. Complete data concerning the antipyretics will appear in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therafieutics.
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