Researches in clinical physiology / by Sir Almroth E. Wright.

  • Wright, Almroth, 1861-1947.
Date:
1943
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Researches in clinical physiology / by Sir Almroth E. Wright. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    77/178 (page 65)
    found useful in the treatment of insect bites and <>l other irritable eruptions. It nmv also be found useful in the treatment of' weeping eczema. A third point of interest is the effect of calcium chloride upon the heart. Linn* salts are as essential to heart-muscle as they are to blood or to milk. Case II. Private II.. in hospital, under treatment ior secondary syphilis. February ath, 1896. Developed a sore throat which proved to be diphtheritic. February 0th, I Slip. 25 c.c. of diphtheria antitoxin injected. February 14///. 1896. Diphtheria bacilli have disappeared from the throat. February 15///, 181)6. Patient awoke this morning with violent itching. A well-marked eruption, consisting of raised wheals and erythematous patches, came out during the night over the trunk, but especially on the thighs, arms, and on the dorsum of left hand. Patient has no joint-pains. 11.45 a.m. Blood-coagulation time, 8 min. 12 noon. Administered 30 grains of calcium chloride. 2.40 p.m. Blood-coagulation time, 5 min. 2.50 p.m. Administered another 30-grain dose of calcium chloride. 4.40 p.m. Blood-coagulation time, 5 min. 10 sec. February 16th, 1896.—No calcium chloride has been administered since 2.50 p.m. yesterday. There has been no itching whatever since early yesterday morning. The rash is. however, said to have 4 come out ’ in the early morning. There is hardly a trace of it to be seen now (10.30 a.m.). Blood-coagulation time, 4 min. 10 sec. Thirty grains of calcium chloride administered at 10.45 a.m. 1.15 p.m. Blood-coagulation time, 3 min. 30 sec. Ordered another 30-grain dose of calcium chloride to be administered at 6 p.m. February 17///, 1896.—No further trace of rash. Blood-coagulation time, 2 min. 45 sec. Remarks.—In view of the association of serum-disease with diminished blood- coagulability, which is evidenced by this and several cases which previously came under observation, the following questions suggest themselves. (1) Is the urticaria, which develops in a percentage of cases after the administra- tion of antitoxic horse serum, invariably associated with a diminished blood- coagulability? (2) Do all the patients in whom a diminution of blood-coagulability takes place after an injection of horse serum, suffer from urticaria, or does some other factor come into play? (3) Does an injection of horse serum always produce a diminution of blood- coagulability ? No answer is as yet forthcoming to the first two of these questions. The third may probably be answered in the negative, as the following observation shows : Private J., who shares the diphtheria ward with Private H., and who is now convalescent from diphtheria, was injected on the same day as Private H. with the same quantity of the same antitoxin. He has not developed any urticaria. His blood-coagulation stood at 3 min. on the ninth day after the injection of the antitoxin.