Scientific Proceedings. 



(153) 89 



The radioactivity of the different organs of dogs experimented 

 upon was determined by two methods. For an approximate esti- 

 mation of radioactivity, the gold leaf electroscope has been found 

 very serviceable. In this case, it is only necessary to thoroughly 

 dry the finely divided organ and note the rapidity with which the 

 charged gold leaf descends. The use of the quadrant electrometer 

 admits of a more exact valuation of the radioactivity. The organ 

 is incinerated and the radioactivity of the ash determined. 



The determinations thus far made have been entirely upon the 

 dogs used in the experiments of Burton-Opitz and Meyer (III). 

 The following parts have been examined : Blood, liver, lungs, 

 kidney, spleen, pancreas, brain, and muscle. Of these, the blood 

 showed the greatest activity, while the brain has so far given 

 negative results. 



Injection as well as feeding experiments are in progress. 



V. " The influence of radium bromid on metabolism in dogs " : 

 William N. Berg and William H. Welker (Laboratory of 

 Physiological Chemistry, Columbia University). 



The experiments are being carried out on dogs in nitrogenous 

 equilibrium. Radium bromid preparations of 240, 1,000, and 

 10,000 activity have been employed. Thus far introduction has 

 been by mouth only. One animal (6.6 kilos) has been fed 1.1 

 gm. 240 activity, 0.25 gm. 1,000 activity, and 0.125 gm. 10,000 

 activity in small amounts daily (during 12 days), without causing 

 any gross symptoms, except diarrhea during the period of adminis- 

 tration of the preparation of 240 activity with its large content of 

 barium. Protein metabolism did not appear to be materially 

 affected. Total sulfate (SOJ in the urine was markedly increased, 

 especially during the period following the administration of the 

 preparation of highest activity, and when diarrhea as well as con- 

 stipation was entirely absent. 



In control experiments with barium bromid, much larger 

 quantities per os (as much as 0.5 gm. daily to a dog weighing 

 only 4.5 kilos) were without any gross symptoms whatever. In 

 the case of barium, also, protein metabolism was practically unaf- 

 fected by the quantities used. The quantity of total sulfate in the 

 urine, unlike the result with radium, appeared to be practically 

 unaffected by the barium bromid. 



Injection experiments with both barium and radium will soon 

 be completed. 



