THE COMPARATIVE VALUE OF SOME VASO¬ 
CONSTRICTORS* 
By H. E. Kingman, Colorado State College. 
The discussion of vaso-constrictors simmers down to a con¬ 
sideration of the systemic treatment of hemorrhage. 
It should first be made clear that the systemic or physio¬ 
logical treatment of hemorrhage is only resorted to when the 
physical and chemical means are not available. It must also be 
known that while hemorrhage is being discussed the vaso-dilators 
are not to be neglected. 
Any agent which increases blood pressure tends to keep the 
blood from clotting and augments hemorrhage. It is obvious, 
then, that in acute hemorrhage, before the patient is exhausted, 
blood pressure should be lowered and clot formation encouraged. 
But it is held that this is unphysiological, because nature makes 
an effort to supply the respiratory center with blood, and the 
approach of death is rapid as soon as the center fails to receive its 
supply. The disturbed breathing during or following hemor¬ 
rhage is a result of starvation of the center, and dilating the ar¬ 
terioles sets the patient one notch toward death. So it is believed 
that the important drug is one which will increase the blood 
pressure and at the same time have a constricting action on the 
arterioles. 
Adrenalin .—Adrenalin is a powerful heart stimulant and it 
specifically constricts the arterioles. Applied locally, it blanches 
the mucous membranes of the eye, mouth, stomach, vagina, blad¬ 
der or uterus, but it is slowly absorbed and its systemic effect' 
takes place tardily. 
* Read before the Semi-annual Meeting of the Missouri Valley Veterinary Medical 
Association. 
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