Abstract
A number of investigations∗ have shown that when arsphenamine and neoarsphenamine are intravenously introduced, the arsenicals rapidly disappear from the blood stream, part apparently going to immediate excretion, and part to storage in the tissues. Usually, however, these results have been obtained from 1, or in some instances from 2 or 3 injections of the arsenical. To determine whether the number of injections would play any rôle in the disposition of arsenic we have followed the quantity of arsenic present in the blood after serial administration of neoarsphenamine to dogs, maintained upon a constant fixed diet. The drug was introduced into either the jugular or femoral vein, and blood was drawn from an artery, usually of the leg. Each animal received 0.3 gram neoarsphenamine at intervals of 4 days. The arsenic was determined in 10 cc. samples of blood, by the combined methods of Chittenden and Smith, and Sanger and Black, the total quantity in the body being derived from a calculation of the blood volume from the body weight. The results are detailed in Table I.
From the table may be seen, as others have found, a rapid disappearance of arsenic from the blood within the first one-half hour, after which the decrease is more gradual. It is to be noted that in the case of Dog 1 traces of arsenic can still be found at 24 hours following each of the first 2 injections, but that after the fourth injection there is still a trace present at 48 hours. Following the fifth injection traces can be found at 72 hours and at 65 hours after the sixth injection. With Dog 2 no traces of arsenic can be found after 24 hours after each of the first 4 injections, but after the fifth, sixth and seventh injections traces of arsenic can be shown at 48 hours.
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