EXPERIMENTS ON THE VASOCONSTRICTOR ACTION OF BLOOD SERUM

Abstract

PART 1 INTRODUCTION The power of blood after clotting or defibrination to constrict blood vessels, as evidenced by its action on perfused organs or on the excised arterial strip, has been frequently observed and to some extent studied as to its nature and origin. The work here presented has shaped itself into a study of the vasoconstrictor substance in relation, first, to unclotted blood; second, to the cellular and noncellular elements of the blood; third, to certain biologic, physical and chemical reactions; and lastly, to the process of coagulation. The literature will be reviewed in much the same order. External events have brought the work to a close while it was in many respects incomplete; nevertheless we feel justified in recording it as it stands. It was suggested by the work of two of us¹ in 1912 and certain of the conclusions as to the origin of the vasoconstrictor substance