144 



Scientific Proceedings (92). 



It has been established that the lack of parathyroid is accompanied 

 by increased elimination of ammonia, decreased acid excretion 

 and the lowering of the hydrogen ion concentration. The same 

 conditions are manifested after the administration of guanidine 

 hydrochloride. 1 The increase in guanidine nitrogen was found by 

 Koch 2 and Burns and Sharpe 3 in experimental parathyroid tetany 

 and also in idiopathic tetany. In a recent communication 4 we 

 reported that the above-mentioned phenomena were an accom- 

 paniment of the acidosis produced by guanidine administration 

 and also suggested that phosphates might be retained in the body 

 to neutralize the acids formed by the muscular activity. 



Another fact that in parathyroid tetany, the calcium content 

 of the tissues was decreased was reported by Sabbatani 5 and Quest 6 

 and by many other investigators. In this country MacCallum 

 and Voegtlin 7 confirmed the above statements and also reported a 

 marked reduction in the blood calcium caused by the increased 

 output in the urine and feces. It, therefore, seemed advisable to 

 inquire into the phosphate and calcium changes in the blood in 

 guanidine tetany and to compare these changes with those occur- 

 ring in parathyroid tetany in order to decide whether the increase 

 in guanidine nitrogen is the only cause of this phenomenon or 

 whether other factors are involved in the production of parathy- 

 roid tetany. 



Marriott and Howland's methods were employed in this inves- 

 tigation. Rabbits were used and two samples of blood were 

 drawn from the jugular vein; one before the subcutaneous ad- 

 ministration of a sublethal dose of guanidine hydrochloride and 

 the other after — about 10 to 48 hours after the injection of the 

 drug. It is necessary to wait for the second sample of blood until 

 the acidosis is well developed, though most animals do not live long 

 after this condition becomes severe. Since animals usually died 

 at midnight or early in the morning, the second blood sample 



1 Watanabe, C. K., J. Biol. Chem., 1918, XXXIV, 51. 



2 Koch, W. F., /. Biol. Chem., 1912, XII, 313; Ibid., 1913. XV, 43- 



3 Burns, D. and Sharpe, J. S., Quart. J. Exp. Physiol., 1916, X, 345. 



4 Watanabe, C. K., J. Biol. Chem., 1918, XXIV, 65. 



5 Sabbatani, "Rivist. sperim. di frematria," 1901 (quoted by Quest). 



6 Quest, R., Jahrb.f. Kindelheinlkunde, 1905, LXI, 114. 



7 MacCallum, W. G. and Voegtlin, C. J., Exp. Med., 1909, XI, 118. 



