The Water-Balance Principle of Crustacean Eye-Stalk Extracts

Abstract

1. Eye-stalks of the brackish water-crab, Carcinus moenas, and of the fresh-water crayfish Potamobius fluviatilis, were extracted according to the pharmacopoeial method for the extraction of posterior pituitary glands. 2. Injection of such eye-stalk extracts resulted in a temporary increase in the body water of frogs. The increase produced by the extract of one eye-stalk of Carcinus was approximately equal to that produced by the injection of 20 milliunits pitocin (=oxytocic fraction of mammalian posterior pituitary extract). 3. The crustacean eye-stalk extracts has no significant oxytocic, chloruretic, or antidiuretic effect.