Abstract
Summary And Conclusions
1. The intravenous injection of curare produces a marked inhibition of the choline esterase of human serum. 2. The inhibition of this esterase activity gradually diminishes at a variable rate in different patients, but is still present 5 to 6 hours after the injection of curare. 3. The degree of inhibition of the esterase activity was similar to that obtained in in vitro experiments previously reported. 4. A method is indicated for estimating the amount of the choline esterase inhibiting constituent of curare in the blood by the use of its inhibiting effect on esterase activity. Some of the possible applications of the method are pointed out. 5. The relation between the effect of curare on choline esterase and the production of muscular paralysis is discussed.
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