Abstract
The view has been advanced that the symptoms of the malarial paroxysm are due to the toxic action of hematin 1 . The basis for this view rests, (1) in the alleged identity of hematin and malarial pigment, and (2) in the effect produced by intravenous injections of hematin solutions in rabbits. Inasmuch as hematin has not yet been isolated from the fresh organs of an undoubted case of malaria, malarial pigment cannot be justly identified with hematin. The present communication deals chiefly with the temperature curve in rabbits after intravenous injection of from 0.0023 g. to 0.0370 g. of hematin per kilo body weight.
The hematin was prepared from hemin by the method of Piloty. 2 The hemin was prepared from ox blood by the Piloty modification 3 of the Schalfejeff method and recrystallized from pyridin. The hematin was dissolved in 0.9 per cent. NaCl solution containing 1.5 per cent. NaHCO3. All solutions used contained 0.5 g. hematin in 100 c.c., were microscopically clear, and were sterile.
The rectal temperatures of the rabbits were taken every 30 minutes after injection, with a clinical thermometer which had been checked against a P. T. R. thermometer. Two minutes was allowed for the registration of the maximum temperature. Fresh rabbits were used for each series of experiments; no animals were reinoculated.
Twelve rabbits received hematin solution, eight rabbits received the solvent (0.9 per cent. NaCl solution containing 1.5 per cent. NaHC03) intravenously in corresponding volumes, and five rabbits were used as controls for accidental temperature fluctuations. The maximum rises in temperature for the individual hematin animals were, 3.5, 2.4, 1.8, 1.8, 1.7, 1.7, 1.5, 1.3, 1.2, 0.8, 0.7, and 0.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
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