Notes on Books

1879 BMJ (Clinical Research Edition)  
312 THE BRITISH MEDICAL 5ZOURNAL. [Marcl i 1i879. with fibrinogen to form fibrin; and Mathieu and Urbain's view, that coagulation is due to the presence of carbonic acid, is shown to be erroneous. Mr. Kingzett objects very strongly to others theorising; but now and again he gives himself the most unrestrained liberty. Here we have a few bold statements: the fat and alcohol are oxidised in the blood; oxidation in the lungs is a process of combustion and the source of muscular power; all bioplasm
more » ... must die, and by its death (!) tissue results, and hair, skin, bone, nerve, and muscle are produced. Schiilzenberger and Risler determined the oxygen contained in blood by adding to a given quantity an excess of standardised sodiumsulphite, and estimating the excess in an atmosphere of hydrogen. The oxygen does not act on the sulphite like free oxygen, but like oxygen combined with ammonio-cupric oxide. Fresh ox-blood shows an oxidising power equal to 45 per cent. oxygen; whereas, when it is deoxidised by the air-pump or by carbonic oxide, it shows only I9 per cent. During sleep, oxygen is stored up, particularly in the muscles, possibly in combination with the myochrome of the latter: a colouring principle which appears to be identical with hoemoglobin. According to Bert, compressed air or oxygen acts as a poison. In dogs, convulsions begin when the external pressure of oxygen -3 ( = I 7 at mospheres of air), and death at 5 atmospheres. Oxygen acts as a rapid poison when the arterial blood contains 35 per cent. (as obtained by the airipump); oxidation is hindered, and a lowering of temperature is produced, and, at the same time, an exaggerated excito-motor activity of the spinal cord. Frankel's conclusion, that a diminished supply.of oxygen is invariably followed by an increase of urea, and therefore an increase of albumen degradation, is regarded as unreasonable. According to Pfliiger, the living cell regulates the amount of oxygen consumed, and the animal combustion of the cell presupposes, not only no active and only neutral oxygen, but is within wide limits entirely independent of the partial presence of the neutral oxygen. For this and other reasons, he denies the existence of ozone in the blood. Although pure oxygen be respired, the intensity of internal combustion is the same as when air is respired. The respiratory mechanism has, therefore, no influence on the amount of total tissue-metamorphosis.
doi:10.1136/bmj.1.948.312 fatcat:ww73ij657nb5nnxp7kcxtevbc4