FCETAL TOXINS 205 



hoped her condition would then improve. The con- Treatment of 

 vulsions, however, continued, and only two ounces of bio 

 albumen-laden urine were obtained by catheter during fusion - 

 eighteen hours subsequent to her admission. Later, I 

 received a message informing me that she appeared to 

 be dying. When I saw her a few hours afterwards she 

 was lying semi-comatose, was jaundiced and had a pulse 

 that was hardly perceptible at the wrist. I immediately 

 suggested to her husband, a robust-looking man, that I 

 would like to transfuse his wife with his blood. He 

 readily consented. So, after we had found out that he 

 belonged to group iv, we proceeded to transfuse the 

 patient with approximately 500 c.cm. of his blood 

 cit rated. The response was almost immediate, and 

 within a few hours the patient saw, and spoke to her 

 husband. In the sixteen hours subsequently to the 

 transfusion the patient passed 50 ounces of urine, and 

 71 ounces in the next twenty-four hours. 



In this case the blood was transfused, in order that 

 an antitoxin might be introduced into the blood-stream 

 of the patient to neutralize the toxins from the placenta. 



I have no hesitation in suggesting that this may be 

 the proper treatment for all severe cases of eclampsia. 

 It is probable that a more immediate and lasting effect 

 will be obtained with blood-transfusion after the patient 

 has been completely delivered ; but if delivery has not 

 taken place, it may be advisable to transfuse before 

 parturition, and, if necessary, after the uterus has been 

 emptied. Indeed, if the transfusion be effected im- 

 mediately the eclamptic symptoms are observed, it is 

 possible that the life of the child may also be saved. 1 



1 Bell, W. Blair, Brit. Med. Journ., 1920, vol. i, p. 625. 



