A method for the in situ measurement of the electrical quantities in frog skin

A method allowing the measurement of the electrical quantities related to the physiological functions of the frog skin in situ is presented. The method allows the performance of several experiments on the same pithed animal, which remains alive for a number of days. The preparation is very stable, and the electrical potential difference and short-circuit current values are higher than in isolated skin. The theory of measurement and the possible systematic errors are discussed. The possibilities of the method are evaluated on comparing the pH and temperature dependence of the electrical quantities in situ with previous measurements on isolated skin.