76 



Scientific Proceedings (126) 



and the inorganic phosphorus on the whole blood, using the Bell 

 and Doisy method, without the addition of oxalate or other 

 anticoagulant. The calcium determinations did not indicate 

 significant variations from the normal; the eleven specimens 

 taken antepartem gave an average of 10.4 mg. per cent., where- 

 as eighteen taken postpartem averaged 9.75 mg. per cent. It is 

 possible that tests taken at various periods of pregnancy would 

 give more significant figures. The calcium of the cord blood 

 in eighteen cases gave an average of 10.75 mg. per cent. How- 

 land and Marriott 1 found a normal percentage of calcium in three 

 tests of cord blood. Jones and Nye 2 have reported a calcium 

 content averaging 12.6 mg. per cent, in the plasma of five babies 

 under the age of 14 hours. 



As far as we know there have ibeen no tests for phosphorus 

 in the cord blood of infants. MeKellips, De Young and Bloor 3 

 tested the blood of infants during the first 26 days of life and 

 found the inorganic phosphorus the same in the plasma of in- 

 fants and of adults, and that in the corpuscles somewhat lower 

 in infants. The average inorganic phosphorus of twenty-one 

 cases we found to be 3.71 mg. per cent. ; the mothers' blood in 

 these cases averaged 2.89 mg. when taken a day or two follow- 

 ing labor. In twelve cases where the inorganic phosphorus was 

 tested during pregnancy, the percentage was 2.77 mg. There 

 are two comments suggested by these figures. First, that in- 

 organic phosphate is considerably higher in the blood of the 

 foetus than in that of its mother. Second, that although the 

 content of inorganic phosphate is higher in the foetal than 

 in the maternal blood, it is markedly lower than that of the 

 young infant. The normal content of inorganic phosphorus 

 in infants is about 4.5 mg. when tested Iby this method. The 

 percentage 3.71 mg. which we obtained is generally indicative 

 of rickets in postnatal life. Radiographs of the epiphyses 

 showed no evidence of rickets in these cases. 



1 How-land, J. and Marriott, W. McK., Proc. Amcr. Bed. Soc, 1916, xxviii, 

 202. 



2 Jones, M. R. and Nye, L. L., Jour. Biol. Chcm., 1921, xlvii, 321. 



3 McKelHps, G. M., De Young, I. M. and Bloor, W. R., Jour. Biol. Chcm* 

 1921, xlvii, 53. 



