Blood Volume in Relation to Weight and Surface Area. 545 



AS a result of his observations, that the injection of distilled water by the 

 subcutaneous route can cause fever.*^ In the paper referred to it is clear that 

 neglect to make hourly observation after injection is responsible for his 

 statement. 



REFERENCES. 



1. Sorensen, " Etudes enzymatirjues Lab. de Carlsberg," 1907, vol. 7, p. 1. 



2. Hort, " Diagnosis of Cancer by Examination of the Blood," ' Brit. Med. Assoc. Proc.,' 



Belfast, July, 1909. 



3. Golla, " The Antitryptic Index," ' Brit. Med. Assoc. Proc.', Belfast, July, 1909. 



4. Hort, vide 2. 



5. Hort, ' Roy. Soc. Med. Proc.,' June, 1909. 



6. Krehl, L., " Versuche iiber die Erzeugung von Fieber bei Thieren," ' Arcliiv f. exper. 



Path. u. Pharm.,' 1895, vol. 35, pp. 222—268. 



The Blood Volume of Mammals us Determiyied hy Experiments 

 upon Rahhits, Guinea-pigs, and Mice, and its Relationship to 

 the Body Weight and to the Surface Area expressed in a 

 Formula. 



By Georges Dkeyer, M.A., M.D., and William Eay, B.Sc, M.B. 



(Commmiicated by Prof. F. Gotch, F.R.S. Eeceived May 5, — Read 



June 23, 1910.) 



(Abstract.) 



The blood volume of animals has for many years been the subject of 

 numerous investigations. This is but natural, considering its great importance 

 for the study of disease. As, however, the results obtained are very 

 discordant, we have determined the blood volumes of rabbits, guinea-pigs, 

 and mice by Welcker's method, by washing out the circulatory system, and 

 by following the percentage fall of haemoglobin after bleeding. 



Our experiments have given the following results : — 



(1) The blood volume of living mammals can be determined very accurately 

 by bleeding the animal (about 20 per cent, of its original blood volume) and 

 determining the percentage fall of htemoglobin at the moment when 

 equilibrium is reached. This method gives results remarkably concordant 

 with those obtained by washing out the circulatory system. In employing 

 this method it is absolutely essential that the animals should not have been 

 bled before. 



