486BLOOD COPPER AND IRON I N ADDISON'S DISEASE ence of action than any of the 3 other substances examined. This property of the propionate was still more striking in the small number of short interval (36 hours) experiments. The unit dose was considerably higher under these conditions but the action persisted more than 20 days.The absolute values obtained in this study may require revision. Various circumstances indicate that they will be found somewhat lower in a larger series of experiments, when the experimental conditions are better established as, for instance, the volume of the hormone solution injected and the time interval between tests on the same animal. However, if the general results of these experiments are confirmed in a larger series of tests, a new bio-assay method becomes available which offers several advantages, Viz., animals need not be sacrificed, autopsy and histological examinations or measurements of organs are not required, and the persistence of action can be registered on the individual animal continually.
Hemochromatosis is a rare disease of disturbed iron metabolism usually associated with diabetes and accompanied by cirrhosis of the liver, bronzed pigmentation of the skin, and by the.presence of an iron-containing pigment, hemosiderin, and a non iron-reacting pigment, hemofuscin. in the skin. liver, pancreas and various other organs.Copper has been proposed as an etiological factor in hemochromatosis by Mallory and his coworkers. Mallory, Parker and Nye' announced that it was possible to produce pigmentation and cirrhosis of the liver in rabbits and sheep by the administration of copper salts or metallic copper in powdered form. Mallory' made a careful study of a series of cases of hemochromatosis among human beings. He pointed out 2 definite factors which he believed had a bearing on the production of the disease, one, the excessive indulgence in alcohol, and the other, occupational contact with copper. In some cases both factors operated. Mallory pointed out that samples of alcohol used in the prohibition era were considerably contaminatecl by copper. Mallory and Parker* repeated their experiments on chronic poisoning with copper and again reached the same conclusions, namely, that as a result of repeated injections of copper over a long period of time a form of pigmentation cirrhosis of the liver was produced.
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