Calcium in the blood in diseases of the skin

Abstract

Before proceeding with experiments on the efficacy of calcium in the treatment of furunculosis it was thought advisable to determine the amount of calcium in the blood of patients with boils. We proceeded on the idea that the calcium might be decreased in such patients. As it happened, we first examined a number of patients with acne and we were much surprised to find the amount of calcium markedly increased in such. After testing about ten patients with acne we examined our first patient with boils and found the calcium was slightly below normal in amount. In one other patient with a large boil on the arm the amount of calcium was extremely low; that is, 5 mg. per 100 c.c. of plasma. Thus it is seen that in most of the patients with acne the amount of calcium in the blood was markedly increased while in some of the patients with furunculosis the amount of calcium was very low.

So far as we have searched the literature we have not found any results reported on the amounts of calcium in the blood of patients with acne and furunculosis. The amounts of calcium found by us in the blood of patients with acne were so extremely large that we determined to subject the gravimetric method, which we used, to a careful investigation. We ran through six blanks by the ashing method, which we used, with negative results. In one test we used 20 C.C. of our distilled water and found it free from calcium. In case No. 2, 22 C.C. of plasma were obtained at one time and divided into two portions of eleven c.c. each. In one portion the calcium was determined by Mr. Osterberg and in the other by Thro.