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OBSERVATIONS ON I'HE ACIDITY 
AND ALKALINITY OF THE BLOOD 
IN TRYPANOSOME INFECTIONS 
BY 
M. NIERENSTEIN, Ph.D. 
]. W. UARRm INTERNATIONAL FELLOW AND RESEARCH DEMONSTRATOR OF 
THE LIVERPOOL SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE 
{From the Runcorn Research Laboratories) 
{Received for publication 12 May, 1908J 
Yakimoff^ in his publications dealing with the changes of blood 
during trypanosome infection states that the alkalinity of blood 
deaeases as the disease progresses. He used for his estimations 
von Limbeck’s^ method, whereby the serum alkalinity is measured 
against litmus. This method, however, does not indicate the true 
alkalinity of the serum, as the results are affected by the increase of 
the acidity and the carbon dioxide present in the blood. 
A method which practically eliminates these errors has been 
described recently by Moore and Wilson,^ who estimate the 
alkalinity of the ash after incineration of the blood. We were able to 
show, with their method, that during infections with T. brucei and 
A equiperdum the acidity of the blood serum increases, whereas the 
alkalinity of the blood apparently remains constant. 
B. Moore’s and F. Wilson’s technique was adopted, phenolph- 
thaleine being used as an indicator for alkalinity, and dimethyl-amido- 
azo-benzol (referred to as dimethyl for brevity) for acidity. In 
addition titrations were made with Congo red, as this does not indicate 
'organic acids such as amido acids.^ 
It is remarkable that in cases where both indicators were used, 
the acidity against Congo red was lower than against phenolphthaleine. 
This difference becomes more marked as the infection progresses, a 
fact which seems to suggest that trypanosome infection causes an 
increase of amido acids in the blood. 
To eliminate the error which might be produced by the CO3 in 
the breath, to which Moore and Wilson allude in their paper, specia 
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