The Effect of Various Neuromimetic, Anesthetic and Tranquilizing Drugs on Feather Release ,

THE effect of drugs on the muscles of the feather follicle has received comparatively little attention. Langley (1904) used atropine, curari, apocodine and adrenalin and observed no effects upon the movements of the feathers. In contrast, nicotine, injected intravenously, resulted in a strong depression of the feathers of the body. A subsequent dose, however, failed to add any further effect upon the feathers. He further reported that strychine, following curari, caused irregular erection and depression of the feathers for one to two minutes. King (1920) showed that feather loosening occurred when chloroform, atropine, scopolamine, apomorphine, strychnine and amylnitrite were used. Adrenalin, ether and morphine, among several others, had no effect upon feather loosening, however. It has recently been reported that oral administration of sodium pentobarbital was effective in loosening the feathers (Huston and May, 1961). These workers reported that feather removal was 90 to 95 percent complete when the birds…