6o8 CLINICAL VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 



by the addition of two or three times its weight of sodium iodide ; but 

 a dose of "3 grain per pound of body-w^eight produced general weak- 

 ness, difficulty in respiration, and in some cases convulsions and death 

 in from twelve to twenty-four hours. G. See and M. Lapicque saw no 

 special disturbance in a dog weighing 17 lbs. 3 oz., into whose 

 saphenous vein they slowly injected at intervals of a quarter of an hour 

 two doses of fifteen grains of potassium iodide. 



Iodine when directly introduced into the blood probably assumes 

 the condition of sodium iodide, or combines with albumen, forming 

 unstable compounds, which disengage iodine in contact with living 

 protoplasm. Elimination by the kidney commences rapidly. At the 

 end of a few minutes iodine can be detected in the urine in the condi- 

 tion of sodium iodide, but a portion remains in the blood, and the drug 

 appears to have a special predilection for the muscles, kidney, and 

 brain. M. Gallard found that it is retained in the latter in consider- 

 able quantities. 



In order to study the therapeutic action of iodine and its use in the 

 treatment of certain animal diseases, I first determined the dose which 

 could without danger be introduced into the blood. I prepared solu- 

 tions varying in strength from i per cent, up to 5 per cent., the iodine 

 being dissolved by the addition of potassium iodide (iodine i, potas- 

 sium iodide i"5, water q. s.). My experiments on animals of different 

 species have given results which, while confirming the tolerance of the 

 organism for iodine, show that it has been greatly exaggerated, and 

 that small doses produce very appreciable results. The following 

 records are interesting in this respect : 



(i) Dog, weighing 39I lbs., received at 2 p.m. on the 14th Feb- 

 ruary, 1898, an injection of five and a half fluid drachms of a i per 

 cent, iodine solution into the saphenous vein. No manifest disturb- 

 ance. 



(2) Dog, weighing 4if lbs., received at 3 p.m. on the i8th Feb- 

 ruary, an injection of one fluid ounce of a i per cent, iodine solution 

 into the saphenous vein. At the end of an hour and a half restlessness 

 appeared, followed by signs of depression and shivering fits, at first 

 localised in certain regions, especially in the crural and gluteal muscles, 

 but afterwards generalised. At 5 p.m. the temperature had risen to 

 the extent of h° C, and the heart's action was slightly accelerated. A 

 little later the symptoms diminished ; at 8 p.m. they had disappeared ; 

 the animal was bright, lively, and ate its food readily. 



(3) Dog, weighing ygl lbs., received at 3 p.m. on the 20th Feb- 

 ruary, an injection of six and a half fluid drachms of a 5 per cent, 

 iodine solution, i.e. a little more than '2 grain of iodine per pound of 



