Abstract Injections of carbachol into the lateral cerebral ventricles of rats increased water intake in both satiated and deprived animals and injections of norepinephrine elicited eating. This is in contrast to earlier studies which have failed to elicit drinking under similar conditions and indicates that the ventricle may at least be partially involved in some of the behavioral changes observed after chemical stimulation of specific neuro-anatomical structures. In support of previous work, high doses of atropine reduced drinking, as did norepinephrine. The latency to drink to carbachol was also investigated.