STUDIES ON THE ARNETH COUNT.-XXI. THE EFFECT OF THE PARENTERAL INTRODUCTION OF CERTAIN COLLOIDAL METALS ON THE COUNT

¹ Physiology and the Institute of Animal Genetics, Edinburgh University

1. The action of colloidal preparations of the following metals upon the Arneth count is described: iron, cobalt, tin, copper, strontium, and nickel.

2. It was found that in general small doses produce no significant deflection, but marked left-handed shifts are produced with two to eight times the minimum dose.

3. The effect produced by the various metals bears no definite relationship to the toxicity of the metals.

4. It is tentatively suggested that the effect is a non-specific one due to a deviation of the normal concentrations of the inorganic constituents of the blood serum.

A portion of the expenses of this research, which was carried out during the tenure of a Carnegie Research Scholarship, was met by a grant from the Earl of Moray Fund.