Maternal mortality and morbidity : an address / by Edward Mellanby.

  • Edward Mellanby
Date:
[1930?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Maternal mortality and morbidity : an address / by Edward Mellanby. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    5/18 (page 89)
    annnals, for example, young rats, are placed on diets deficient in vitamin A they dle of sepsis. The pyogenic lesions are usually multiple and widespread’ bUl begm m general ln epithelial tissues. Thus we find infections in the middle ear, mastoids, nasal sinuses, genito-urinary tract, lungs in the form of broncho¬ pneumonia, and alimentary canal. Not only have the infective processes their origin in epithelial tissues, but the septic condition is either preceded or accompamed by hyperplasia, metaplasia or keratinisation of the epithelium. The evelopment of septic foci is not a matter of chance but under the experimental conditions adopted is practically certain. The addition to the diet of a sufficient quantity of vitamin A in the form of cabbage, butter or liver fat just as certainly prevents the development of septic foci. Again, if animals with infective lesions except when they are moribund, are given an abundant supply of vitamin a’ rapi recovery and cure result. I cannot dwell on the experimental side of this work, but two further facts may be stated. The first is that the anti-infective action can also be produced by carotene, a highly unsaturated hydrocarbon, which forms the pigment of carrots and is also present in green vegetables. The o owing table summarises this action of carotene and shows it to be almost quantitative in character from the point of view of raising the resistance of animals to autogenous infection. Summary of Results showing Degree of Anti-infective Action of Graded Doses of Carotene. N0. of animals in Severe Moderate No Protective agent. , group. infection. infection. infection. None 10 9 1 0 0.005 mgrms. carotene 9 6 3 0 0.010 ,, >) 8 0 6 2 0.020 ,, > y 6 1 0 5 0.040 ,, j > 9 0 1 8 0.080 A > > 4 0 0 4 0.160 nr ,, ) * 9 0 0 9 0.500 grms. dried' cabbage 12 0 0 .j 12 Per cent, free from infection, o o 25 82 89 100 100 100 The second fact I wish to mention is more closely associated with the problem we aie to discuss to-day. If rats, when pregnant, are put on to diets comp ete except for vitamin A, a larg-e proportion of them develop abscesses in the uterus and fallopian tubes—in fact, develop puerperal sepsis. . lt 1S obvious> therb that we have here facts which form at least a starting- point for future research into sepsis and the resistance to sepsis Before describing- the investigations on human beings, let us consider for a moment whether on a priori ground's these experimental facts might be expected to have any bearing on puerperal sepsis in women. The duty of the maternal organism during pregnancy is to supply all the substances necessary for the growth of the embryo. These substances she