400 ARON. 



Analyses of cholera blood obtained at autopsy (Avon). 



Name. 



Solids. 



Water. 



Cholo- 



rides. 



per 1,000. 



P.0 6 , 

 per 1,000. 



CaO, 

 perl,000. 



K„0, 

 perl',000. 



Na.,0, 

 perl,000. 



Protein 

 NX6J. 





Per cent. 



Per cent. 



2.24 

 2.13 











Per cent. 





















27.6 



28.3 



26.3 



28.8 



/28. 01 

 127. 46 



72.4 

 71.7 

 73.7 

 71.2 



\ 













2.22 

 2.16 

 2.26 







1.98 



1.29 



27.1 

 25.9 

 27.3 





1.15 

 1.30 







0.08 







2 cases 1908 









/ 















All of the blood samples obtained at autopsy show a more or less 

 decided decrease of water and a corresponding increase of solids. Taking 

 about 20 per cent of solids as normal, the increase amounts to as much 

 as 8.5 per cent. 



The blood from cholera patients, in four cases, shows a decrease 

 in the water content of the same degree as that found in the dead 

 bodies, but four others had either a normal water content, or only a 

 slight diminution. Therefore, it would be but natural to conclude that 

 the blood is more highly concentrated in severe cases than in mild ones. 

 Unfortunately, there is no accurate criterion of the severity of a given 

 case, but if we assume that the patients who recover constitute the 

 mild cases and those who die the severe ones, then there is not the 

 slightest indication that the water content bears any relation to the 

 severity of the disease. While the number of analyses I have made 

 is too small to enable us to arrive at any final conclusion, I do not 

 believe it will be possible to fix a constant relationship between the 

 severity of the- disease and the loss of water from the blood, because 

 the interval of time during which the loss of water takes place must 

 play an important role. 



Another fact would seem to be of importance: The four cases with 

 a low water content of the blood were in the early stages of the disease 

 at the time the samples were taken, having been sick for from one 

 to three days only. The figures for these cases agree well with the 

 results obtained by Schmidt, for his patients also show an increase 

 of solids in the blood in the early, but not in the later stages of cholera. 

 The chloride content of the blood is decreased in nearly all instances 

 investigated by myself as well as by Schmidt, a result which so far 

 agrees fully with that of Eogers. 



Is Eogers's conclusion that the blood has become hypotonic also 

 correct? We have seen that the blood of cholera patients loses water. 

 An isotonic blood, with a lower content of water, should have a lower 

 content of salts (chlorides). The decrease in salts (chlorides) in itself 



