On the red ally of urohæmatoporphyrin : a retrospect of twelve cases / by David Fraser Harris.

  • David Fraser Fraser-Harris
Date:
[1898]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the red ally of urohæmatoporphyrin : a retrospect of twelve cases / by David Fraser Harris. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    of the characteristic features of the absorption-spectra of all the haematoporphyrins. Being led to reflect upon the genetic relationship of these pigments to those of bile and urine,131 found it awkward not to have a name for the red ally of urohsematoporphyrin, and so devised one which endeavoured to express what MacMunn believed to be its position relative to haematoporphyrin and urohsematoporphyrin, namely, its being intermediate as a reduction product, between the two. I therefore named it meio de-oxyhaematoporphyrin. It might, however, be well to call it by a term that connoted no particular view as to its origin, so that the red pigment might be merely known as a-hsematoporphyrin and the orange one as /8-haematoporphyrin. In a sense they are both wrohaematoporphyrins probably in different stages of reduction. Of the twelve cases mentioned, seven have been in women, and in four of these, sulphonal had been administered. In all there was grave nervous disturbance. Of these seven cases, five were fatal. Having already discussed, to some extent, elsewhere, the seat of origin of these pigments, I refrain from again entering upon that topic, but would only say that the liver is probably the chief seat of the abnormal katabolism of blood pigment through haemataporphyrin (iron-free) to the iron-free pigments of bile and urine. Had I not seen Pro- fessor McOall Anderson's first case, in which the excretion of red pigment has recurred for years and the man is still living, I should say this red urohaematoporphyrinuria was a most grave symptom, a precursor of a fatal issue—such at any rate it seems to be in the case of women. I ought to add that a-hsematoporphyrin is very stable. In the first specimen of it, which I received a year ago, the pig- ment has preserved its chemical and spectroscopic integrity. In this respect it is exactly like laboratory acid haematopor- phyrin which never seems to decompose. Its presence has also some power in greatly retarding the putrefaction of the urine itself. References. 1 Journal of Physiology, 1885. * Proc. Royal Society, 1880. 8 Proe. Physiol. Society, March 17th, 1888. * Journal of Physiology, vol. x, 1889. 5 Text- book of Chemical Physiology. 6 British Medical Journal, January 3rd, 1891, and Proc. Physiol. Society, p. xiii, June 28th, 1890. 7 Textbook 0 Chemical Physiology, 1891. 8 Lancet, September 20th, 1890, vol. il, p. 607. 9 British Medical Journal, November 22nd, 1890. 10 Glasgow Med. Journal, January, 1895. 11 Scot. Med. and Surgical Journal, February, 1897. 12 Journal of Dermatology, January, 1898. 13 Journal of Anatomy and Physi- ology, vol xxxi, and Proc. Royal Society Edinburgh, vol. xxi, p. 385.
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