Fred A. Hitchcock

A Mass Spectrometer for Continuous Gas Analysis

An instrument for recording continuously the relative abundance of gases in a three component mixture is described. High accuracy of analysis has been sacrificed in favor of high speed response since the instrument was designed primarily for use in the investigation of respiratory problems. An instantaneous change in gas composition will appear on the record with a lag of less than 0.2 second and will require approximately 0.1 second to settle on this new value.

Effect of Cortin upon Renal Excretion and Balance of Electrolytes in the Human Being.

Previous attempts to show a positive effect of cortin in normal subjects have met with little success. The present experiments demonstrate that large doses of this hormone produce a prompt effect on the kidney. Sodium, potassium and chloride excretion have been studied in 4 normal subjects and in 2 patients with Addisons disease. All were maintained on a constant diet and liquid intake. Hourly urine specimens were collected during the fasting state with the subject at rest. Cortin was injected intravenously each hour for 4 hours, a total of 80 cat units being injected in each subject. This was approximately 3 times the amount required to maintain a patient with severe Addisons disease for 24 hours. Sodium chloride (0.9%), heated cortin solution and a dilute adrenalin solution were used as control injections. The results are summarized in Table I. Cortin injections were associated with a marked reduction (average 42%) in the excretion of sodium over a 5-hour period. In patients with Addisons disease similar injections of cortin caused reductions in sodium excretion ranging from 20 to 50% depending on the condition of the patient. Potassium excretion was increased in the normal subject about 30% for the 5-hour period during which cortin was injected. In the case of one untreated patient there was no increase in potassium excretion during the 5-hour period. With the patients CB1 and IB1 the injection of cortin increased the excretion of potassium 66 and 170% respectively during the 5-hour period. Some reduction in chloride excretion accompanied the cortin injections in 2 normal subjects and in both patients with Addisons disease. Electrolyte balance studies were carried out on 8 normal subjects and on 3 patients with severe Addisons disease. The subcutaneous daily injection of from 12 to 30 cat units of cortin produced no effect in the normal subjects.