66 



SELLARDS AND SHAKLEE. 



Blood was withdrawn with an ordinary syringe from a superficial vein of the 

 arm below an Esmarch bandage and defibrinated with glass beads in a closed 

 flask. The pressure throughout the apparatus was reduced to 16 centimeters. 

 Approximately three to four times the theoretical amount of sulphuric acid was 

 added using a 1 per cent solution instead of the more concentrated acid recom- 

 mended by Kraus. After the addition of the acid, the apparatus was washed 

 with air under the reduced pressure until the weight of the absorption bulbs was 

 constant. Two absorption bulbs for carbon dioxide were used in order that the 

 process might be carried out rapidly. The entire procedure was usually com- 

 pleted within three hours. 



No determinations were made upon cases in collapse or in the stage 

 of reaction, but only on those in wliich symptoms of ursemia were 

 present. Two patients were available. 



Case number 15 was tested on the fourth day of the disease, two hours before 

 death. A total of 50 cubic centimeters of urine were excreted during the course 

 of the illness. There were moderate symptoms of uraemia, and a typhoidal 

 condition was also present. Case number 18 was tested on the third day of the 

 disease, twenty hours before death. A total of 500 cubic centimeters of urine 

 •were excreted during the four days. There was only slight elevation of the blood 

 pressure. The respirations were deep but the rate was not increased. 



Determinations with this method on normal human blood gave results 

 which closely approximated those obtained by volumetric methods, namely 

 40 to 50 volumes per cent of carbon dioxide. The specific gravity 

 •of noiTQal blood (1.060) was used in calculating the volume of the 

 sample of cholera blood from its weight. It is evident that this de- 

 termination can represent only an approximation. However, the ten- 

 dency of the error would lie in the direction of a high result rather 

 than a low one. There was little opportunity for loss of carbon dioxide, 

 but considerable care was required to prevent water from being carried 

 over into the absorption bulbs. In these two patients there does not 

 seem to be any reasonable doubt but that the carbon dioxide of the 

 blood was definitely reduced below the normal. 



Table VIIT. — Cirhon dioxide content of the hJood. 



Sample. 



Weight 

 of blood. 



Increase in weight 

 in CO2— absorp- 

 tion bulbs. 



Total 

 carbon 

 dioxide. 



Volume 

 per cent 

 of carbon 

 dioxide. 



I. 



II. 



Blank with water: 



I _ L 



Orams. 



Gram!'. 

 0. 0009 

 0. 0017 



0. 0144 

 0. 0110 



0. 0062 

 0.0065 



ff?-am.s. 



Grams. 





II _ 











Normal individuals: 



A-. _ 



15.10 

 17.47 



17. 125 

 27.66 



0. 0003 

 0. 0023 



0. 0023 

 0. 0018 



0. 0147 

 0. 0133 



0. 0085 

 0. 0083 



51 

 40 



26 

 16 



B 



Cholera patients: 



No. 1.5 



No. 18 





