The Treatment of Burns in Wartime

Studies on Gangrene Following Cold Injury. Iii. Edema Following Cold Injury: Its Magnitude and the Composition and Sources of Edema Fluid 1

“…Likewise the protein concentration of edema fluid and the changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit reported here agree with those found by Harkins and Harmon (10) after freezing approximately one-quarter of the body surface of dogs. The early hemoconcentration observed to follow severe burning, which resembles that found in this series of animals following frostbite, has been observed by many workers in both animals and man (11,12). Both the tissue edema fluid (21) (24).…”

“…Effect of edema fluid upon blood pressure and isolated smooth muscle. The frequent reports of the presence of a toxic substance in plasma and edema fluid after burns (11,12) suggest that such toxic materials may be present in the edema fluid taken from extremities following cold injury. In order to test this possibility, edema fluid removed from frostbitten rabbit feet 2 hours after injury was examined in the following manner.…”

Observations on the Physiology and Biochemistry of Quantitative Burns

“…Several recent reviews give a summary of the chemical changes which have been found to occur in blood from patients and experimental animals suffering from burns (3). There is general agreement that one finds an increase in non-protein nitrogen, urea, and creatinine, and a decrease in total protein and carbon dioxide combining capacity.…”

Observations upon thermal burns: the influence of moderate temperature burns upon a proteinase of skin

“…Reference to the extensive literature has been made unnecessary by the review of Harkins (1942); it is only necessary to mention the views of Robertson & Boyd (1923), who thought that they had found a toxin present and extractable from burnt skin; this was denied by Underhill & Kapsinow (1931). More recently Wilson, Macgregor & Stewart (1938) stated that a toxic protein could be found in oedema fluid from a rabbit taken within 48 hr.…”