The Influence of Minimal Narcotic Doses on the Respiration of Erythrocytes

Low concentrations of ethyl alcohol stimulate the respiration of mammalian erythrocytes in vitro. Low concentrations of ethyl urethan remain without effect on, or tend slightly towards depressing the respiration of mammalian erythrocytes in vitro. It is suggested that this may be due to the oxidizable nature of alcohol, and the non-oxidizable nature of urethan, properties which come into evidence only when these narcotics are present in such low concentrations that the threshold of inhibition (narcosis) has not been reached.