156 INORGANIC AGENTS 



travenously. A salt which will not coagulate blood and which will free 

 its iron ion must be employed — as the tartrate of iron and sodium. Large 

 doses thus given cause vomiting, purging, convulsions, dyspnea and failure 

 of respiration. Albumin and casts may appear in the urine. In other 

 words, there is gastrointestinal and renal irritation succeeded by stimula- 

 tion and final depression of the central nervous system. 



The numerous compounds of iron now manufactured by pharma- 

 ceutical concerns under the name of albuminates and peptonates, and 

 supposed to imitate the natural organic forms of iron found in the blood 

 and liver, are not superior to the inorganic, salts in many cases and are 

 worthless in others. Some — as ferratin (D., gr.iii-x) and carniferrin — ■ 

 are more readily absorbed and less irritating than many of the inorganic 

 preparations and might be of some value in canine practice. 



Blood. — In anemia iron is mainly of worth by furnishing building 

 material for blood. It may also stimulate the blood-making organs and 

 in this way perhaps increase the number of red corpuscles. The leuko- 

 cytes are also somewhat augmented. Iron increases the power of the red 

 corpuscles to hold and carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, and to 

 transform it into ozone. Iron is then indirectly an oxidizing agent, stimu- 

 lating tissue change and vital activity. 



Elimination. — Iron is chiefly excreted by the intestinal mucous mem- 

 brane (nine-tenths), however administered, yet it is also found in minute 

 amounts in the urine (one-tenth), bile, saliva, sweat and tears. 



Summary. — Iron is essentially a blood tonic and restorative, increas- 

 ing the number of red blood corpuscles, the amount of hemoglobin, and 

 aiding nutrition. Externally it is an astringent, styptic and stimulant. 



Uses External. — Liquor ferri chloridi and liquor ferri subsulphatis 

 are sometimes used to stop bleeding from wounds or natural cavities of 

 the body. They may be injected, applied by swab, or on absorbent mate- 

 rial, which is packed into the wound or cavity. As a local application 

 in pharyngitis, we use 1 part of the solution of ferric chloride with 4 

 parts of glycerin. In the same strength, diluted with water, the chloride 

 may be injected into the uterus to stop hemorrhage. Again, a solution, 

 in the strength of 2 drams to the pint of water, is employed as an enema 

 to destroy ascarides. The objection to these solutions of iron is that they 

 form heavy, nasty, tenacious clots, when employed to arrest hemorrhage, 

 and the clots are apt to decompose and favor sepsis. Therefore they 

 should not be used if other means, as ligature, pressure, heat or cold, 

 or adrenalin ehloride can be utilized. 



Internal. — Reduced iron is one of the best preparations for dogs. 

 It is commonly administered in pill, and often with other tonics, as strych- 

 nine, quinine, and arsenic. Reduced iron is non-irritating, non-astrigent 

 and non-constipating. It may be placed on the tonguff in the form of 

 powder. Ferrous sulphate is one of the two most valuable forms of iron 

 which can be prescribed to the larger animals. The other form is the 

 tincture of ferric chloride. The sulphate is more astringent and irritat- 

 ing than some of the other iron salts, but does not usually cause constipa- 

 tion in the horse. Indeed, when constipation is due to loss of tone in the 

 lower bowel, small doses, by their local stimulant action, may actually 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



