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This paper is a continuation of studies initiated over two years ago in this laboratory for the purpose of assessing the effects of local anesthetics used topically in otological surgery."! The favorable conditions accompanying the use of topical anesthesia have been discussed there. However, our studies have shown that some of the commonly used anesthetics cause serious disruptions in the action of the cochlea's sensory mechanism when these drugs are applied to middle ear structures. The major effect involves a reduction in the magnitude of the electrical response of the cochlea. These losses have serious implications for hearing. It is clear that the choice of anesthesia for otological surgery is an important matter, and one that demands further systematic study.The purpose of our present research was to determine the effects of lidocaine hydrochloride (Xylocaine® 2, 1, and Y2 per cent solutions with and without 1: 100,000 epinephrine) upon the electrical response of the cochlea of the cat. Also considered was the effect of 1: 100,000 epinephrine alone upon this response. The effects of 10 per cent cocaine hydrochloride and of normal saline are included for comparison. PROCEDURE Twenty-eight cats were used as experimental animals, and each was anesthetized with a solution of diallyl-barbituric acid and ethyl

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