730 HENRY G. BARBOUR 



OTHER EFFECTS OF CALCIUM, ETC. 



Water Metabolism. The effects of the calcium ion upon water 

 exchanges in the organism are very imperfectly understood. 



Many of them may be ascribed to diminished permeability of the 

 kidneys. Diminution in urine flow, for example, was described by Forges 

 and Pribram. Davis has observed antagonism of sodium chlorid 

 diuresis by calcium in dogs. Besides this the elimination of injected saline 

 fluids has, by Fleisher, Hoyt and Leo Loeb, been decreased by the intra- 

 venous injection of calcium chlorid. 



The last named authors find, however, that calcium injection increases 

 the tendency to peritoneal and pulmonary transudation. Augmented 

 rather than reduced permeability would be indicated in such a case, unless 

 one assumes that the calcium acts rather by hindering some normal re- 

 absorptive process than by facilitating the escape of fluid into the affected 

 cavities. 



On the other hand, prevention of various experimental inflammatory 

 edemas was accomplished by calcium injections in the hands of Chiari 

 and Janusche. 



In view of the present state of our knowledge it is not surprising that 

 clinical applications of calcium in the treatment of effusions, coryza, etc.. 

 have been rather disappointing. The success attained by Choksy and 

 others with magnesium sulphate in the reduction of the swellings of 

 erysipelas and other inflammations is probably due largely to salt action. 



Excess of calcium did not retard recovery from saline hydremia in 

 the rabbits of Bogert, Mendel and Underbill, although a positive result 

 might have been anticipated. 



Body Temperature. The effects of calcium upon the heat regulation 

 have not been sufficiently investigated. 



MacCallum, as mentioned above, describes an antipyretic effect from 

 calcium in tetany and Hill has obtained a similar result in normal rabbits 

 when small doses were administered intravenously. Five to eight c.c. 

 of a five per cent solution of calcium lactate thus given cause an initial 

 temperature fall of from 0.4 to 0.6 C. The higher of these doses pro- 

 duces toxic symptoms accompanying this temperature fall ; a rise of from 

 1.5 to 2.5 C. then ensues, with disappearance of the other symptoms 

 of poisoning. 



Gum arabic (consisting largely of the calcium and magnesium salt 

 of arabinic acid) when given in 1 to 20 per cent solution acts, temporarily 

 at least, as an antipyretic agent in fevered rabbits and dogs, but not ii 

 healthy animals. In normal dogs, moreover, a considerable rise of tem- 

 perature results. (Barbour and Baretz.) 



Magnesium salts are stated by Schuetz(&) to reduce the body tempera- 

 ture even if the narcosis is prevented by calcium (as accomplished 



