ACID JSTOXICATION 547 



were present in the livers of phosphorus-poisoned animals because of 

 autolysis, it became probable that the leucine and tyrosine found in 

 the urine were formed from the degenerated liver-cells rather than 

 in the intestine, which view has become generally accepted. It seems 

 most probable, however, that the urinarj^ amino-acids are derived 

 parti}' (and perhaps chiefly) from the autolysis of the liver, and 

 partly from amino-acids produced both in the intestine and within 

 the body during tissue metabolism, and which the liver cannot trans- 

 form into urea as it normally does, for several observers have re- 

 ported that even relatively slight disturbances in hepatic function 

 are accompanied by a considerable rise in the amino-acids in the 

 urine.^- 



ACID INTOXICATION -3 



If a rabbit is given in repeated small doses by mouth considerable 

 quantities of inorganic acids, such as hydrochloric or phosphoric acids, 

 which it cannot destroy by oxidation, it soon becomes extremely ill. 

 The manifestations are characteristic — unsteadiness of motion and 

 stupor being followed by coma, in which the striking feature is the 

 excessively active respiration, as if the animal were being asphyxi- 

 ated (the so-called "air hunger"), while at the same time there is no 

 cyanosis and the blood is bright red, containing much less COo than 

 normal, while the amount of oxygen remains quite normal. The cur- 

 rent explanation of this interesting condition is as follows : Normall}^ 

 the blood carries the C0„ away from the tissues to the lungs in com- 

 bination with the inorganic alkalies of the blood, of which sodium is 

 by *far the most abundant. This combination is the bicarbonate of 

 sodium for other base), which in the lungs is decomposed into the 

 carbonate, the COo escaping into the alveolar air, according to this 

 equation : 



2X:iHCO,^Xa,C0, -f H,0 + CO, 



The carbonate thus formed goes back to the tissues to combine again 

 with more COo and form bicarbonate. If acids are introduced into 

 the blood they combine with the alkalies there, forming neutral salts 

 which are eliminated in the urine, and in this way the amount of 

 alkali in the blood is reduced, with a consequent reduction in the ca- 

 pacity of the blood to carr\^ CO., away from the tissues; the amount 

 of COo in the blood sinking to as low as 2.5 and 3 per cent. (Walter). 

 Consequently, in acid poisoning the CO, produced in metabolism ac- 

 cumulates in the tissues where it is formed, and blocks the processes 



22 See. Masuda. Zeit. exp. Path., 1911 (S), r>20: Labhe and Bitli. Compt. Rend. 

 Soc. Biol.. 1012 (73), 210. 



23 General literature to lOOS, piven by Ewing, Arcli. Tnt. "Nfed.. inns (2), .3.30: 

 also see Magnus-Levy, Ergebnisse inn. Med., 1008 (1), 374: Lusk, Arch. Int. 

 Med., 1900 (3), 1. More recent literature given by PTurtley. Quart. ,Tour. ]\Ted., 

 1016 (9), 301, and an excellent review of recent work bv ^^^litnev, Bost. ^led. 

 Surg. Jour., 1017 (176), 22-5. 



