A Case of Magnesium Deficiency 



307 



MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY AM. 

 20-5-54-II-6-54 



2 5 



i.E<^/L. 



i£5^M MAG 



t 

 SYMPTOMS 



mEq 



INTAKE 



LOSS 



45 



■ URINARY 

 ♦65 = 279 m Eq 



20MAY 

 - 24 MAY 



25 MAY 

 -30MAY 



3J MAY 

 5JUNE 



6JUNE 

 IIJUNE 



Fig. 2. Chart showing the effect of magnesium therapy in 



producing a positive magnesium balance, and its effect on the 



serum magnesium. 



Discussion 



When first seen the symptomatology of the patient in this 

 state was extremely puzzling. The clinical picture was quite 

 unusual and something we had not encountered before. The 

 patient was apprehensive, "on edge", and proved extremely 

 difficult to sedate. She was very ill at the time and there may 

 well have been earlier manifestations which passed unnoticed. 

 The animal behaviour as described by Greenberg and Tufts 

 (1938) in rats, and in particular the apprehensive state de- 

 scribed in induced magnesium deficiency in calves by Blaxter, 

 Rook and MacDonald (1954), strongly recall the clinical 

 picture we saw. Magnesium deficiency in man may ultimately 

 proceed to a condition of tetany and even convulsions as it 



