355
BBSTRACTS
fourth day, that is, seventy-two hours after the first injection. These latter tests are performed primarily for control purposes. A total of 130 urine specimens including cases of normal pregnancies, ectopic pregnancies, missed and threatened abortions, endocrine dyscrasias, etc., were tested. In five instances the twenty-four-hour test showed a positive reaction, while the Clinically these patients were eventually shown seventy-two-hour test was negative. not to be pregnant. In 125 cases there was perfect correlation between the twentyThe author concludes therefore, that this new fourand the seventy-two-hour tests. twenty-four-hour test on rats is superior to any previously described and fulfills the requisites of a reliable and rapid pregnancy test. J. P. GREENHILL.
Daniel, S. P., and Tien, B. S.: The Significance Urine, Chinese M. J. 59: 416, 1941.
of Pregnanediol
in Pregnancy
The excretion of sodium pregnanediol glucuronidate in the pregnancy urine of Chinese women at various stages of gestation agrees with that in Western countries. In a case of twin pregnancy, definitely higher values of pregnanediol were eneounThe yield of pregnanediol with tered throughout the whole course of gestation. isobutyl alcohol as the extracting solvent was found to be only 64 per cent of that with normal butyl alcohol. From the data they have accumulated so far they eonsider that it is still premature to regard the excretion of sodium pregnanediol glucuronidate in the urine of pregnant women as an accurate index in the metabolic process of the corpus luteum hormone. C. 0. MALAND.
Paddock, Richard : A Test for Pregnancy,
South. M. J. 34: 174, 1911.
The author has originated a biologic test for pregnancy which is based upon certain changes in the external genitalia of the guinea pig. The vagina of this test animal is occluded by a membrane which is absent for about forty-eight hours during the estrous period, which has a fifteento seventeen-day cycle. Injection of estrogenie substances, or the serum of pregnant women causes a disappearance of the vaginal closure membrane. Three thirtyto forty-five-day-old female guinea pigs with closed vaginal membranes are used, and 1.2 to 1.5 cc. of blood serum is injected subcutaneously into the pectoral region of each animal. The test is read at the end of forty-eight hours and the interpretations are as follows: (a) Positive for pregnancy, if the vagina in each animal is partly open or wide open; if two show patency while the third is closed: (b) negative for pregnancy, if all three, or two of the animals have closed vaginas. Evidence of marked congestion of the genitals or only suggestive signs may be seen. If vaginal patency occurs in two of the three animals between forty-eight and seventy-two hours the test should be repeated. After a one- to two-day interval, the guinea pigs may be used again. A total of 254 pregnancy tests were performed by the author employing 28 animals; thus an average of 9 tests per animal was obtained. The largest number of times that any pig was used was ninety-five. The results of this test compared favorably with those obtained with a modified Friedman test routinely employed in the same clinic. The few erroneous results wpre toward the negative, and there were no known false positive reactions. Simplicity and economy are the advantages claimed by the author for this biologic test. It is not difficult to learn the changes that occur in the genitalia, and, only a small number of test animals need be maintained. ARNOLD GOLDBERGER.
Henriksen, Brle: 49: 567, 1941. The amusing
Pregnancy
author presents a rather summary of practically
Tests of the Past and the Present, complete, all known
precise and at pregnancy tests
West.
J. Surg.
the same time highly in a short paper, the