166 REPORTS ON THE STATE Or ScIENCE.—1918. 
a definite elective bactericidal action upon such catarrh-causing 
organisms as pneumococecus and various strains of the micrococcus 
catarrhalis. Rapid relief followed the topical application of the 
solution in cases of catarrh’ of the nose, larynx or pharynx. Colloidal 
iron is also used, by subcutaneous intramuscular and intravenous 
injection, in cases of extreme chlorosis, anemia, erysipelas and 
cellulitis. 
Tron is almost the only metal found in the animal organism which .- 
is also obtainable in a colloidal state in the presence of water. The 
significance of this fact has not yet been sufficiently recognised. In 
the serum, the iron is probably present as a protein compound the 
precise constitution of which has not yet been determined. The 
total iron content of the normal body does not exceed 37 grains, and 
although several organic compounds of iron have been recommended 
they are by no means satisfactory, being either too feeble in action 
or too readily decomposed in corpore and so rendered useless. 
Inorganic compounds of iron are held by many practitioners to be 
the most efficient in what they consider to be the only true 
test of the value of an iron preparation, 7.e., an increase of 
hemoglobin in the blood. The administration of iron in the 
form of a colloidal-sol appears to be a simple means of increasing 
the amount of the protein compound in the serum, as this form of 
jron, when administered orally, is rapidly diffused in the stomach 
and yet it is not absorbed in individual positions. It is found that 
the amino-acids formed during the process of digestion are readily 
able to absorb into their complex molecule a large proportion of the 
iron administered in the colloidal form and from it to effect the 
synthesis of hemoglobin. This isin marked contrast to the behaviour 
of the carbonate, hydroxide and chloride of iron usually adminis- 
tered. 
Colloidal antimony has been used in conjunction with manganese 
with extremely good results in gonococcic infections. In India it has 
given very satisfactory results in Kala-azar, its administration in this 
disease being accompanied with less risk than that of arsenic. 
Colloidal manganese has been used with remarkable and sur- 
prising results in the treatment of coccogenic skin disease, including 
deep abscesses, boils and deep-seated impetigo. In superficial 
impetigo, chronic seborrhveic eczema and acute folliculitis it is of 
little value when used alone, but gives excellent results when 
employed in conjunction with intramine. The rapidity of its action?! 
eombined with the saving of dressings render the use of this form 
of manganese very attractive in deep-seated coccogenic lesiony. It is 
usually injected intra-muscularly in amounts of 3 ¢.c. every few 
days. In most cases one injection is sufficient. 
J. EK. R. McDonagh” has also usec intravenous injections of 
33 ¢.c. of colloidal manganese with excellent results in the treatment 
of, poisoning by mustard gas (dichlorethyl sulphide) and other cases 
of sulphur poisoning. 
21 J, E. R. McDonagh, Medical Press and Circular, Dec. 5, 1917; Sir Malcolm 
Morris, Brit. Med. Journ., Apl. 20, 1918 
Medical World (1918), p. 137 
nd 
