Abstract
To study the effect of general anesthesia, produced by ether or chloroform, on the activity of the diastase and the sugar content of human blood, samples of blood were obtained from patients in the surgical service of the hospital, 12-24 hours before operation. A second sample of blood was drawn immediately after the operation, while the patient was still under the anesthetic. Determinations of the sugar content and diastatic activity, were made in these two specimens as described in an earlier communication, 1 together with the CO2 combining power according to the Van Slyke method. An increase in the diastatic activity with a parallel rise in the blood sugar was observed. The anesthesia was also found to produce a decrease in the alkaline reserve of the blood as shown by the CO2 combining power.
A number of patients showing mild or severe hyperglycemia and increased diastatic activity of the blood received 20 to 30 grams of sodium bicarbonate by mouth per day. Changes in the diastatic activity, the blood sugar and CO2 combining power of the blood were followed for some time. The results show that as the alkali reserve increased with the alkali therapy, the activity of the diastase declined, accompanied by a proportionate fall in the blood sugar content.
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