Abstract
In the course of a study on the relationship of certain symptoms to intestinal disturbances we prepared a ten per cent. watery extract of dried feces and injected 3 c.c. of this intravenously into a dog. The injection was followed by a sudden, sharp fall in blood pressure, with a return to normal level within five minutes. Subsequent injections into the same animal produced a similar fall only when the dose was markedly increased. Extracts of both dried and fresh feces from various individuals have been prepared and produce similar results on injection. The fall in pressure may reach seventy per cent. With the fall there is seen some quickening in heart rate and at times an irregularity in rhythm.
Oncometer registration of the kidney and leg volume shows a decided lessening in volume. The intestinal volume on the other hand shows usually a slight rise. A myocardiogram shows no weakening of carciac contractions sufficient to explain the fall in pressure, which therefore seems due to a dilatation of the mesenteric vessels. A further analysis of the point of attack in this depressor action has not been made as yet.
Concerning the nature of the depressor substance, the following facts have been obtained. It is not destroyed by boiling; nor removed by heat and acetic acid; after burning the dried feces, an extract of the ash has no action; the freezing point determination of the ten per cent. extract gives a Δ of approximately 0.3°. The substance does not dialyze. It appears therefore to be of colloidal nature.
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