A Text-Book of Physiological Chemistry for Students of Medicine (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1909 edition. Excerpt: ...increased by the use of certain drugs such as curare, amyl nitrite, chloral, or by inhalation of chloroform vapor. After meals rich in fats there is a temporary increase of fat in the blood, but a persistent increase is noticed in the blood of drunkards and of corpulent individuals. In diseases where there is rapid breaking down of proteins there is usually observed an increase of fat. A loss of blood to the extent of one-third is not necessarily dangerous if it be withdrawn slowly. If one-half the blood is lost there is great danger of death. Blood may be added by transfusion, but for safety should be from an animal of the same species. The serum of one animal has usually a destructive action on the corpuscles of another. Transfused blood then may be a source of danger rather than a means of saving life. This peculiar action of serum will be referred to later in some detail. CHAPTER XII. THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF BLOOD. USE OF THE SPECTROSCOPE AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS. Solutions of hemoglobin and the various modifications and derivatives described in the last chapter absorb light from certain regions of the spectrum. The character and extent of this absorption are such as to afford a ready means of identifying blood or its pigments through the aid of the spectroscope. THE SPECTRUM FIELD. The absorption spectra with which we are here concerned are all found in the middle portions of the spectrum between the Fraunhofer lines C and F, that is in a region easily observed. For practical purposes an elaborate instrument is not necessary. Excellent service is rendered by many of the smaller direct vision spectroscopes. For quantitative tests, however, much more complete apparatus is required. The blood spectrum differs from that of all other red...