Abstract
The subcutaneous injection of paraphenylenediamin hydrochlorid in the dosage of 0.19 gm. per kilo in rabbits, produces a peculiar, specific edema of the head and neck in from one to three (median, one and one-half) hours after the administration. At the same time there is a relative increase in hemoglobin and total solids of the blood due to escape of fluid from the circulation, indicating that increase in vascular permeability may be a factor in the production of the edema. With this dosage, and providing the freshly dissolved drug is injected, edema is produced almost invariably. Old and standing solutions (even for 24 hours) are uncertain and ineffective, and this, in part at least, explains the variabilities previously encountered. The following is a summary of results on 96 animals which have been used for the study, in various ways, to date.
Meissner claimed that large doses of atropin and calcium prevented the edema. We have not been able to confirm this. Maximal doses of the following agents injected in various ways did not influence the development and the course of the edema nor the blood concentration; calcium, atropin, morphin, chloral hydrate, urethan, ether, sodium bromide, cocain, ergotoxin, antipyrin, neocinchophen, sodium salicylate, quinin and cinchophen (in some rabbits). In about half of the rabbits receiving cinchophen, the production of pleural and peritoneal exudates was favored and the mortality increased. Our results with atropin and calcium agree with negative results of Gibbs who used cats instead of rabbits for studying the edema of paraphenylenediamin. The only agent which has prevented the edema thus far is nicotin in large doses hypodermically. Section and degeneration of the cervical sympathetic nerves did not prevent the edema.
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