[Report 1929] / Medical Officer of Health, Cumberland County Council.
- Cumberland County Council
- Date:
- 1929
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1929] / Medical Officer of Health, Cumberland County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![Stewart (University of Edinburgh) erapKasisedH the need of distinguishing between calcinm absorption and oalcinni retention. Various observers, for example Professor Loew (Munich University) have pointed out that the estimation of blood calcium is no index that the body is sufficiently supplied with calcium salts. It is |)ractically unanimously agreed by all observers that calciiim salts have a function in the body metabolism which is imi)e]-fectly understood, and it is believed that calcium has an anti-toxic action as well as an action in the direction of chemiotaxis and stimulation of phagocy- tosis in certain bacterial affections. It is agreed that the chief problem in the use of calcium medicinally is to ensure absorption and retention. Various lines of treat- ment have been advocated to ensure this. Eor example, the simultaneous use of ])ara-thyroid, the iise of ultra- violet rays, and so on. These latter methods appear to be unnecesarily elaborate, because there appears to be no doubt that iodine in minute doses definitely assists both the absorption and retention of calcium; so, too, do such foods and ancillary substances (e.g., cod liver oil) as contain Vitamin D. Articles of diet, etc., containing Vitamin A are probably in the same category. TEEATMENT. The line of treatment in the four cases treated diiring 1929 has varied slightly. Case 1 has had weekly injections (intramuscular) of i c.c. collosal calcium, with cod liver oil cream con- taining 3 minims of tincture of iodine (potassiiim iodide free) to the dessertspooiiful, at the rate of a dessertspoon- fiil three times a (lay. For reasons unconnected with the (question of treatment the cod liver oil cream was discontinued for a short period, during which her weigh.! fell noticeably. (See Chart No. 1.) Case 2 has liad calcium and iodine as above througli- out. Case 3 has had calcium lactate, grains b daily, with iodine in cod liver oil as above throughout. Cask 4 has had iodine in cod liver oil throughout, but the calcium injections were discontinued by her](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29132903_0048.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
