SCIENTIFIC PROCEEDINGS. 



Abstracts of the Communications. 



Twenty fifth meeting. 



College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University. 

 October 16, ipoy. President Flexner in the chair. 



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Cardiac insufficiency due to high arterial pressure. 



By HAVEN EMERSON. 



[From the Physiological Laboratory of Columbia University, at the 

 College of Physicians and Surgeons^ 



Prof. Leo Loeb, of the University of Pennsylvania, first called 

 my attention to the method of teaching the phenomena of pul- 

 monary edema by administering massive doses of adrenalin to 

 rabbits. His observations I repeated with similar, although not 

 such severe results, in June, 1906, in one instance following the 

 signs of mitral regurgitation and acute dilation of the heart 

 through to a gradual recovery, and finally complete reestablish- 

 ment of the normal heart sounds and heart rate in a rabbit. 



During the winter of 1906-7 in the course of demonstrating 

 the effects of direct and reflex vaso-motor phenomena to students, 

 I had occasion to observe the effect of massive doses of adrenalin 

 in cats, in which the carotid blood pressure and the intrapleural 

 pressure variations were being recorded on a kymograph. The 

 familiar phenomena of blood pressure, raised and maintained to 

 250-300 mm. of mercury, with a rapid respiration were observed, 

 the usual slowing of the heart not appearing in these extreme 

 conditions. In every instance there appeared shortly, small and 

 then large moist rales over the entire chest, which gradually 

 increased until the tracheotomy tube became flooded with 

 serous froth. Often the systolic regurgitant murmur and the 

 irregular rapid heart sounds were noticed preceding the edema. 



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