September 1, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



257 



THE RECURRENCE OF ACUTE PARATHY- 

 ROID TETANY IN COMPLETELY PARA- 

 THRYOIDECTOMIZED ANIMALS DUR- 

 ING THE OESTRUS CYCLEi 



In a previous communication Luckhardt and 

 Rosenbloom- liave shown that completely para- 

 thyroideetomized animals can be cured of all 

 symptoms of tetany by the intravenous injec- 

 tion of Ringer's solution administered daily as 

 indicated for a period of about forty days. 

 After that period of time^ the animals can be 

 put on a meat diet limited in quantity only by 

 their own choice and enjoy excellent health 

 ■with no signs or symptoms of tetany except 

 as noted. 



Clinically it has been known for some time 

 that some women who had been subjected to 

 goiter operations suffered from tetany at each 

 menstrual period. It was not clear, however, 

 that the tetany was due to hypofunction of the 

 parathyroid glands. 



As is perhaps generally known, bitches go 

 into "heat" about twice a year. At this time 

 even normal dogs may show signs and symp- 

 toms which are indistinguishable from attacks 

 of mild tetany occurring in parathyi-oidec- 

 tomized animals. Anorexia, hyperpnoea, 

 retching, vomiting, and mild fibrillations of 

 the skeletal muscles are seen off and on par- 

 ticularly during the last week of oestrus. 



It was therefore interesting to not« what 

 would happen during the C9strus period of 

 bitches that had suffered a complete removal 

 of all four parathyroids months previously. 



We can present a report on two of such 

 animals. 



The one animal was completely thyropara- 

 thyroideetomized on October 23, 1921. All 

 injections were stopped in January, 1922. 

 From that time on the animal remained in 

 splendid condition on a stock diet of meat, 

 bread and bones. Tetany in very severe form 

 was induced for the last time in February, 



1 From the Hull Physiological Laboratory, the 

 University of Chicago. 



2 Xiuekhardt and Eosenbloom : Proc. Soc. Exp. 

 Biol, and Med., XIX, No. 3, 1921, p. 129. 



sliuckhardt and Eosenbloom: Proc, Soc. Exp. 

 Biol, and Med., this number. 



1922, by feeding the animal a large amount of 

 meat mixed with barium sulphate. Mild tetany 

 consisting of fibrillations of front and hind 

 legs appeared spontaneously on ordinary diet 

 on March 10, 11 and April 4, 1922. The 

 dog was not depressed. The symptoms would 

 be present one moment and absent the next 

 hour only to recur several hours later together 

 with a mild hyperpnoea. At these times the 

 animals had a marked polydipsia. On April 9 

 an enlarged vulva and a distinct bloody vaginal 

 discharge was first noticed. The tetany symp- 

 toms became more severe from day to day until 

 on April 15 the animal had a severe tetanic 

 seizure with depression, anorexia, hyperpnea, 

 generalized fibrillations, clonic contraction of 

 the temporal muscles (chattering), and a 

 spasticity so marked that walking was difficult. 

 Intravenous injections of Ringer's solution 

 were freely given; and the animal was better 

 on the following day. The tetany continued in 

 more or less severe form until May 4. But 

 even now (May 30, 1922) fibrillations of the 

 neck and leg musculature can be seen now and 

 then (perhaps because of early pregnancy). 



The other animal was parathyroideetomized 

 on January 29, 1922. Four days later the 

 animal had depression, salivation, groaning, 

 spasticity, tremors, clonic and tetanic convul- 

 sions. Indeed, artitieial respiration had to be 

 given because of a tetanic spasm of the dia- 

 phragm. As a result of the usual treatment 

 the animal recovered. For a week or two it 

 seemed doubtful whether the animal would 

 survive. After that the general condition im- 

 proved. Intravenous injections were discon- 

 tinued on the forty-sixth day. The animal was 

 exceptionally alert and playful. Its food 

 (meat) consumption was not limited. On May 

 7, almost two months later, the vulva was no- 

 ticeably enlarged. On the following day 

 anorexia appeared. A fit of sneezing was fol- 

 lowed by a spasm of the facial muscles. The 

 ears were kept back; and the animal was 

 greatly depressed. The condition became worse 

 on the succeeding days. On May 12 retching 

 and vomiting began. On the following day 

 the animal was spastic. Fibrillations and 

 clonic contractions were generalized but were 

 especially noticeable in the temporal muscles. 



