Abstract
Using duration of sleep and rate of mortality as criteria, we have verified the Nicholas and Barron 1 finding that the female white rat is much more sensitive to amytal∗ than is the male, in that on any given, suitable dose it sleeps much longer and is more apt to die [18 males (m.), 18 females (f.)]. A similar sex difference is found with nembutal (15 m., 15 f.), contrary to Nicholas and Barron; to evipan or evipal (111 m., 86 f.), contrary to Kennedy 2 ; to pernocton or pernoston (22 m., 22 f.), and, perhaps not quite as marked, to hebaral or ortal (15 m., 15 f.). Thus, as an example, after administering 363 mg. of sodium evipan per kilo, subcutaneously, to 5 winter males (summer much more sensitive), these sat up perfectly in from 1.0 to 3.5 hours; 4 females sat up in from 8.1 to 10.1 hours, and one died on this dose. No such sex difference could be found with barbital (8 m., 8 f.), or phenobarbital (8 m., 8 f.) In case of pernocton some rats die on the 2nd or 3d day, which agrees with the report by Barlow 3 and his associates and with the delayed deaths noted with the chemically related noctal by Fitch and Tatum. 4
No sex difference to evipan could be detected in the dog (15 m., 15 f.), cat (8 m., 5 f.), rabbit (6 m., 4 f.), guinea pig (9 m., 9 f.), white mouse (10 m., 10 f.), turtle (10 m., 10 f.), or frog (20 m., 20 f.). This agrees with the Fitch and Tatum report upon rabbit sensitivity to barbiturates in general, with Kennedy in regard to white mice, and with our own study 5 upon amytal in the dog and rabbit, in case of which latter it had even appeared that the females recovered more promptly than the males, though the mortality was about even for the 2 sexes.
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