Abstract
The hemoglobin value of the blood of rats on our growing ration varies from 15 to 18%. The hemoglobin content of the blood of rats on whole milk falls to 2 to 5% in 10 weeks. The females respond to anemia and die sooner than the males. Ferric chloride increased the hemoglobin to 16% in 9 weeks. The ferric chloride was made from high grade standardization iron wire. The wire was dissolved in pure HCl to which was added a small amount of pure HNO3, and H2S was bubbled through the diluted solution to precipitate any copper present. The chloride was then crystallized. The Hilger spectrograph showed no copper in the ferric chloride or ferric chloride solution. Ferric chloride from electrolytic iron caused hemoglobin regeneration so that in 9 weeks a value of 16% was obtained. The electrolytic iron, FeCl3, and FeCl3 solution were copper free as shown by the Hilger spectrograph. If CuSO4 be given with the ferric chloride, regeneration is quicker and requires 4 weeks to reach a value of 2.2% higher than without copper.
Rats in glass cages with glass screens did not become anemic any sooner than rats in cages with galvanized screens. Rats on shavings did not develop anemia in 20 weeks. Anemic rats were given sucrose dissolved in copper free water. One lot received in addition pure FeCl3, another lot received 3.0 mg. copper as CuSO4 per rat daily, and the third lot received sucrose and distilled water. The FeCl3 lot had a hemoglobin value of 15% in 3 weeks. The CuSO4 lot showed a slight gain in hemoglobin, due to a small amount of iron in the c.p. CuSO4. The control lot showed no gain in hemoglobin, so after 2 weeks each rat was given daily 0.2 mg. of Fe as FeCl3; and in 2 weeks the hemoglobin increased from 5 to 12%.
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