Effects of Certain Autonomic Drugs on the Electrocardiogram of the Chicken

Abstract INVESTIGATIONS on the electrocardiogram (ECG) of the normal chicken with modern electrocardiographic procedures have been performed by Sturkie (1949), Kisch (1951), Bond et al. (1961) and Douglas (1962). Furthermore, Sturkie (1951 Furthermore, Sturkie (1954) and Sturkie et al. (1954, 1957) reported on the effects of some minerals, vitamins and sex hormones on the ECG of the chickens. No investigations, however, which dealt with the exact relationship between the effects of the autonomic agents and the changes of the ECG of the chicken have been found other than the brief description with respect to the ergot alkaloids by Vander Brook et al. (1940) and the atropine sulfate by Sturkie (1950). It has been considered that epinephrine or norepinephrine and acetylcholine are the basic and representative drugs among all autonomic agents. The purpose of the experiment reported herein was mainly to clarify the effects of epinephrine and acetylcholine on the ECG of the chicken…