} | | | contractions | |{CaCl₂ |m/8-30 c.c.} | | | not strong | | | | | | | 23 |{NaCl |m/8-30 c.c.} | 20 ” |30 ” | Irregular | 0.2 |{BaCl₂ |m/8-1 c.c. } | | | contractions, | c.c. |{CaCl₂ |m/8-30 c.c.} | | | not strong | | | | | | | 24 |{BaCl₂ |m/8-1 c.c. } | 20 ” |30 ” | Irregular | 0.2 |{CaCl₂ |m/8-50 c.c.} | | | contractions. | c.c. ---+-------+-------------+-----------+------+----------------+--------- It is interesting to note again here that the secretion into these loops is almost uniformly inhibited by the presence of calcium. When barium is also present in the solution this inhibition is only partial. The action of barium is never entirely counteracted by calcium chloride. The experiments further show that the saline purgatives act on the intestine not only when it has its normal position and connections with the rest of the body, but also when it is entirely isolated. This eliminates in the first place the possibility of the solutions acting entirely through the central nervous system. It is possible that the salts have some influence on the central nervous system, but from these experiments it seems probable that their main action is either on the glandular and muscular tissues themselves, or on the plexuses of Auerbach and Meissner in the intestinal walls.