A textbook of human physiology / translated from [the] 6th German edition by W. Stirling.

  • Landois, Leonard
Date:
1888
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A textbook of human physiology / translated from [the] 6th German edition by W. Stirling. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    OTHER COMPOUNDS Ql- ILKMOGLOHlN. stimulation and al'terwards paralysis of the nervous system, as shown by the symptoms induced, eg., violent lieadache, great restlessness, excitement,'increased activity of tht'lieart ami respira- tion, salivation, tremors, and spasms. Later, unconsciousness, weakness, and paralysis occur, labom-ed respiration, diminished heart-beat, and lastly, complete loss of scnsibilitvi cessation of the respiration and heart-beat, and death. At first the temperature rises several tenths of a degree, but it soon falls 1° or more. The pulse is also increased at first, but afterwards it becomes very small and frequent. In poisoning with pure CO there is no dyspn(ea, but some- times muscular spasms occur, the coma not being very marked. There is also temporary but pronounced paralysis of the limbs, followed by violent spasms. After death the heart and brain are congestetl with intensely florid blood. In poisoning with the vapour of charcoal, where CO and CO^ both occur, there is a varying degree of coma : pronounci^d dyspnten, muscular spasms which may last several minutes, gradual paralysis and asphyxia, moniliform contrac- tions and subsequent dilatation of the blood-vessels, with congestion of various organs, occur, accompanied by a fall of the blood-pressure (Kfcbti), indicating initial stimulation and subsequent paralysis of tlie vaso-motor centre. This also explains the variations in the temperature ami the occasional occurrence of sugar in the urine after poisoning with CO. After death, the blood-vessels are found to be tilled with fluid blood of an exquisitely Itright cherry red colour, •while all the muscles and viscera and exposed parts of the body (such as the lips) have the same colour. The brain is soft and friable; there is catarrh of the respiratory organs and degenera- tion of the muscles, and great congestion and degeneration of the liver, kidneys, and spleen. The spots of lividity, 2)ost-mortcm, are bright red. After recovery from poisoning with CO there may be paraplegia and (although more rarely) disturbances of the cerebral activity. 17. OTHER COMPOUNDS OF HEMOGLOBIN.—4. Nitric Oxide-Hsemo globin (NO-Hb) is formed when NO is brought into contact with Hb (Z. HcriiKinn). As NO has a great affinity for O, red fumes of nitrogen peroxide (NO.,) being formed when- ever the two gases meet, it is clear that, in order to prepare NO-Hb, the 0 must first be removed. This may be done by passing H through it, [or ammonia may be added to the blood, ami a stream of NO passed through it; the ammonia combines with all the acid formed by the union of the NO with the O of the blood]. NO-Hb is a viorc stable chemicnl cnmjwund than CO-Hb, which, as we have seen, is again more stable than O.jHb. It has a hhiish-viuht tint, and also gives two absorption-bands in the spectnmi similar to those of the other two compounds, but not so intense. These bands are not abolislied by the action of reducing agents. As NO-Hb cannot be formed in the body, it has no practical significance. The three compounds of Hb, with O, CO, and NO are crystalline, like reduced Hb ; they are isomorphous, and their solutions are not dichroic. All three gases unite in equal volumes with Hb. If O be conducted through a concentrated solution of Hb devoid of gases, a crystalline mass of 0._,Hb is thereby readily formed. 5. Cyanogen, GNU {Hoppe-SeyJer), and acetylene, C.2H4 {Bi-itrou- and Liehrcich), form easily decomposable compounds with Hb. The former occurs in poisoning with hydrocyanic acid, and has a s])ectrum nearly identical with that of O.jHb, and, like OoHb, it is reduced, but very slowly, by special reagents. [The existence of these compounds is, however, highly doulttfnl {Gamgee).} 18. DECOMPOSITION OF HEMOGLOBIN.—In solution and in the dry state Hb gradually becomes decomposed, whereby the iron-containing pigment htematin (along with certain bye-products, formic, lactic, and butyric acids), i.'^ formed. Haemoglobin, however, may be decomposed at once into—(1) Haematin, a body containing iron, and (2) a colourless proteid closely related to globulin ; by {(i) the addition of all acids, even by CO.^ in the presence of plenty of water ; (/>) strong alkalies ; {c) all reagents which coagulate albumin, and by heat at 70°-80' C; {d) by ozone. (A) Haematin, C32lT.{2N4F'^C)^ {Nenrl-i and Siehcr), is a bluish-black amorphous body, which forms about 4 per cent, of bfcmoglobin (dog). It is imolublc in water, alcohol, and ether ; soluble in dilute alkalies and acids, and in acidulated ether and alcohol. (1) Acid Hsematin.—Lecanu extracted it from dry blood-corpuscles by using alcohol containing sulphuric and tartaric acids. [If acetic acid be added to a solution of Hb and slightly heated, a mahogany-brown fluid is obtained, containing
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