2 gg DISEASES OF THE DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



the abdominal veins, while the ventricles and arteries are emptied. 

 In this condition saline infusions (105 to no° F.) are of infinite 

 value, because absorption of drugs from the digestive canal and 

 subcutaneous tissue is impaired. Saline infusions greatly dilute 

 the blood — and, therefore, poisons in the blood — in toxemia, while 

 they increase the activity of the kidneys and elimination of toxins. 

 The intrinsic heat of the injections is thought to stimulate antitoxin 

 formation, and the restoration of vascular tension is believed to 

 assist the natural bodily resistance of the patient. 



A great variety of disorders have been treated successfully in 

 human medicine with saline infusions, on this basis, including : sep- 

 ticemia, pneumonia, uremia, diabetic coma, purpura hemorrhagica, 

 tetanus, ulcerative endocarditis, pyelitis ; acute alcohol, ether, chloro- 

 form, carbonic monoxide, arsenic and mushroom poisoning; and 

 toxemias resulting from acute infectious disorders. The same treat- 

 ment might be applied to hemoglobinemia and other toxemias 

 peculiar to the domestic animals. Venesection for the purpose of 

 removing the poisoned blood should, in most cases, be resorted to 

 prior to practising saline injection in the toxemias. Excluding 

 shock and hemorrhage, where heat is invaluable, saline infusions 

 are generally given at the temperature of 103 F. by the rectum, 

 tinder the skin, or into a vein. 



Since writing the above, favorable reports of the use of saline 

 infusions have been accumulating. Thus G. W. Dunphy (Amer. 

 Vet. Review, June 1905) writes that he treated two cases of pur- 

 pura hemorrhagica in the horse by injection of 6 liters of normal salt 

 solution following the removal of 5 liters of blood from the jugular 

 (by means of a trocar and canula), and, at the end of twenty- four 

 hours, bled 2 more liters and injected 3 more liters of salt solution 

 with very happy results. He also demonstrates the wonderful life-- 

 saving' influence of intravenous saline infusion after the loss (by a 

 horse) of 25 liters of blood. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



