V. NON-OFFICIAL PREPARATION-S. — Ferratin, to 30 grains.
Ferri arsenas, 1/26 to 1/, grain.
Ferri bromidum, 5 to 20 grains. Syrupus ferri bromidi, 15 to 60 drops. Ferropyrin, 8 to 15 grains. limmalbumin, 5 to 15 grains. 11-raoferrum, 3 grains.
IImmogallol, 2 to 8 grains. Ilmmoglobin, 75 to 150 grains. limmol, 2 to 8 grains.
Liquor mangano-ferri peptonatus, 2 to 4 drachms.
Physiological Action.—The experi ments on the administration of inorganic' compounds of iron to guinea-pigs and other animals, according to A. B. Macal lum, have resulted in showing that the intestinal mucosa absorbs these to an ex tent which varies with the nature of the compound and with the quantity of it given. When the dose is small, absorp tion occurs only in that part of the in testine adjacent to the pylorus, and measuring only a few inches in length; yet, when the quantity given at any time is large, the absorptive area may embrace the whole of the small intestine. In the former ease the result appears to depend on the complete precipitation, as hydrox ide, of the iron of the salt unabsorbed, in the thoroughly-mixed chyme, bile, and pancreatic juice; and, in the latter case, the large amount of the iron salt, appar ently, first destroys the alkalinity of these fluids, the excess of the salt unaffected and remaining in resolution then under going absorption. The intestinal epi thelial cells transfer the absorbed iron at once to the underlying elements when the quantity absorbed is small, but with a large amount absorbed the epithelial cells are found to contain some of it. Though some of the subepithelial leu cocytes of the villi appear to carry part of the absorbed iron into the general blood-circulation, probably the more im portant agent in the transference of the inorganic iron from the villi to other parts of the body is the blood-plasma. Marfori's albuminate and the commercial "peptonate" of iron, when administered to guinea-pigs, seem to stimulate the leucocytes to invade the epithelial layer of the intestinal villi. Of the organic iron compounds belonging to the "chromatin" class, that present in egg yelk (hmmatogen of Bunge) undergoes absorption in the intestine of the guinea pig and of the Amblystoma. In these,
but more especially in the latter, after they are fed with egg-yelk for several days, the cytoplasm of the liver-cells yields marked evidence of the presence of an organic iron compound belonging to the "chromatin" class, and derived from the yelk fed. The mode of absorp tion of yelk "chromatin" is obscure, but the process appears, in some way, to be connected with the absorption of the fat with which the iron compound is closely associated in yelk.
From carefully-conducted laboratory experiments, Gaule recently ascertained that not only the organic, but also the inorganic salts, as the chloride, are ab sorbed. The chloride is absorbed, since, with the organic substances in the stom ach, it is changed to an organic substance. Absorption takes place almost exclusively in the duodenum, although in the stom ach and small intestine it can be shown to take place. It may also take place through the intestinal epithelium and through the central vessels of the cells; also in similar manner as the fats. Two hours after the entrance of the iron prep aration into the intestine there can al ready be shown in the pulp-cells of the spleen an increased deposition of the so called iron-reserve. The progress of the iron-absorption is completely normal, and does not result from a disturbance of the normal activity.
The amount of iron excreted by the liver, according to Dastre, is quite vari able, but the mean percentage is 0.94 of the dry residue, the hepatic iron depend ing more on the blood-formation or blood-destruction in the liver than on the alimentary conditions. A dog weighing 55 pounds, eliminates by the bile, in twenty-four hours, 2 1/, pounds of bocly weight.
Microchemical researches on guinea pigs and other animals showing, by the ammonium-sulphide and biehromate-of potassium tests, the presence in the in testinal villi and other tistzes of an in creased amount of iron after ingestion of salts of this metal and organic com pounds containing it. Macallum (Jour. of Physiology, '94).