Like all inhalation anesthetics, halothane (CF3CHBrCl) has a dose-dependent negative inotropic effect on cardiac muscle. The mechanism of the action has not been determined, although effects on glycolysis, mitochondrial respiration and calcium kinetics, and sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase activity have been suggested. Previous studies of the effect of halothane on the ATPase of contractile protein suffered from design and dosing defects. We have measured ATP splitting by canine cardiac natural actomyosin using extraction and equilibration procedures described previously (Honig, C. R. and Reddy, Y. C. 1973, J. Pharmacol. 184: 330-338). Drug dosing calculations were facilitated by measurement of the partition coefficient of halothane in protein. Halothane shifted the Ca++ concentration effect curve for actomyosin ATPase activity to the right. The maximum depression occurred at pCa 7.0 or 6.5. The effect was dose dependent with less than 10 percent depression at threshold and 50-60 percent depression at peak. Enzyme inhibition was antagonized by high Ca++ concentration, and was reversed by removing halothane from the reaction mixture. We suggest that inhibition of ATP utilization by the contractile system may be a mechanism of the in vivo myocardial depression produced by halothane.