Abstract
1) In 29 cases of heartworm disease, the average level of serum ionic calcium was 3.9±0.23mg/dl. This value was lower than 4.2±0.24mg/dl, the average level of serurn ionic calcium in the healthy dogs examined. 2) In 6 cases of hepatitis, the average level of serum ionic calcium was 3.7±0.18mg/dl. This value waS significantly lower than 4.2±0.24mg/dl, the average level of the calcium in the healthy dogs. 3) In rabbits which had been injected with carbon tetrachloride in a large net quantity, or 1cc per kg of body weight, the serum ionic calcium exhibited a sharp decline over a period of 24 hours after the injection. Then it showed a gradual recovery in some of these rabbits. A number of rabbits in which the serum ionic calcium had revealed no sign of recovery was led to death without exception. 4) In rabbits which had been injected with a medium quantity, or 0.5cc per kg of body weight, of carbon tetrachloride three times, the serum ionic calcium declined after the first injection and soon it began to recover. After the second injection it repeated the same change. After the third injection, however, it remained at a remarkably low level and was never ameliorated until subsequent death. 5) In rabbits which had been injected with a small quantity, or 0.1cc per kg of body weight, of carbon tetrachloride three times, the serum ionic Calcium declined after the first injection and soon it began to recover. With repeated injections, such alternation of decline and recovery became more and more frequent. The serum ionic calcium reached a comparatively low level 40 days after the first injection. 6) Total serum protein and total leukocyte count varied simultaneously in the above-mentioned experiments. They showed a marked decline in rabbits under acute conditions of disease terminating in death. 7) In histopathological examination, those cases which had liver damage were found to be in a condition characterized by hypo-ionic calcemia.
