Prevention of Parathyroid Tetany. 129 



be used in the daily tests. Necessarily this titration is to be 

 repeated with 4 or 5 different sera. 



In the case of the protein (edestin and phaseolin) and bacterial 

 (B. abortus and B. mallei) antigen-antibody complexes, it was 

 observed, after obtaining the antigenic unit, that increasing the 

 number of units within the limitations of the complement fixation 

 test, did not affect the strength of the reaction. One unit and 

 as many as 8 units of antigen were found to give similar results. 

 It would appear that the optimum amount of specific antigen for 

 complement fixation tests is not the largest amount which may 

 produce fixation, in view of the unnecessary increase in colloidal 

 ingredients, but rather the smallest amount conducive to safety, 

 as for example, 2 units. 



64 (1811) 



The prevention and control of parathyroid tetany. 



By ARNO B. LUCKHARDT and PHILIP J. ROSENBLOOM. 



[From the Hull Physiological Laboratory, The University 

 of Chicago, Chicago, III.] 



If the signs and symptoms following parathyroidectomy are 

 the result of an intoxication, as some investigators believe (Pa ton, 

 Findlay, Watson, Burns, Sharpe, et alii), a vigorous diuresis if 

 more or less continously maintained by means of the intravenous 

 injections of physiological saline solutions might prevent the onset 

 of tetany or rapidly lead to a disappearance of all symptoms of 

 tetany if the tetany was first allowed to develop, providing the 

 poison or poisons responsible for the condition were water-soluble 

 and were excreted by the kidneys. 



Dogs were accordingly injected intravenously two or three 

 times daily with ordinary Ringer's solution following thyropara- 

 thyroidectomy. All injections were made with a Woodyatt pump 

 delivering 42 c.c. per minute. The animals received 33 c.c. or 

 more per kilo body weight at each injection. In some animals 

 calcium-free Ringer's solution was injected from the start. In 

 others, we changed from ordinary Ringer's solution to a calcium- 

 free Ringer's solution to study the importance of the calcium ion 

 in the Ringer's solution. The animals were fed a mixed diet 

 consisting chiefly of meat. 



