Abstract
During the course of studies on the lymph of normal dogs under various conditions we have observed that practically every insult is followed by rhythmic changes of organ activity as indicated by the chemistry of the lymph, 1 and the leucocyte count. 2 We have called attention to the probability of a balance between the peripheral portion of the organism and the splanchnic region, 3 the one being more active when the other is at rest. The leucocyte picture in particular gives us most striking evidence of this relation. 4
Incidental to these observations we have carried out a series of experiments, with uniform technique, to study the lymph changes following bulbus pressure (oculo-cardiac reflex), the pressure being applied with sufficient intensity to perceptibly slow the cardiac rate.
In a chart of such an experiment previously published 5 we have demonstrated the increasing amplitude of autonomic alterations occasionally seen following such bulbus pressure; in this communication we present 2 further graphs to illustrate several additional changes.
Chart No. 1. Normal dog, thoracic duct incannulation under local anesthetic. Bulbus pressure for 4 minutes with repetition after 5 minutes (indicated by black blocks on chart). The reaction of the organism can be divided into 2 periods—one of approximately 75 minutes after the ocular pressure and the second phase following this. During the first phase, the leucocyte count remains relatively low while the lymph protein and lymph calcium increases. With this, bile pigment makes its appearance in the lymph and becomes well marked. In the second period there is a reversal with a peripheral leucocytosis and a diminution of lymph calcium and protein. The bile pigment continues at an unaltered level.
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