THE EFFECT OF ETHYL URETHANE ANESTHESIA ON THE ACID-BASE EQUILIBRIUM AND CELL CONTENTS OF THE BLOOD.

When anesthesia is produced in rabbits or rats by injections of ethyl urethane, the C0(2) content and pH of the whole blood of the animal are more or less rapidly increased to a point where there is a marked uncompensated alkalosis which reaches its maximum at 24 hours and persists for 48 hours. The increase in the C0(2) content and pH of the whole blood is accompanied by a decrease in the circulating lymphocytes and an increase in the polymorphonuclear leucocytes.