Abstract
One cc. of adrenalin hydrochloride was injected subcutaneously on 19 subjects, 12 of whom were suffering from hypertension. The injections were repeated 1 to 4 times at intervals varying from 2 hours to 1 month.
Normal individuals gave a reaction to first injection characterized by a fairly rapid rise of arterial pressure which lasted 40 to 60 minutes. On a second injection the rise of pressure was much more sudden, but the contrast between the first and subsequent tests was much less marked than in the hypersensitives described below.
It was found that 8 of the hypersensitives on the first reaction presented a slight increase in the systolic blood pressure. On repetition of the injection at least 12 hours later a sudden and severe increase was noted, forming a marked contrast to the slight response on the first occasions. Four hypersensitives gave on the first tests a response resembling that given by the other 8 on second tests.
Two hypersensitives who were again examined in 2 weeks and 1 month respectively, after the first injection did not now show the sudden increase previously observed, and on repetition of the test in 24 hours it was not reproduced.
The diastolic blood pressure in all cases showed a tendency to decrease, except in cases of sudden and intense increase of the systolic pressure, when a slight diastolic increase would occur. Otherwise the diastolic pressure was not affected by the phenomenon observed above.
The observations on the rate and rhythm of the heart agreed with those of previous observers.
This work was done under the direction of Dr. Henry Ulrich.
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