Liver Extract

The Ontario Medical Association met, last week, at Toronto. "Of the greatest importance to the medical profession," said an investigation committee thereof, referring to some work by Dr. W. J. MacDonald, of St. Catharines.

Dr. MacDonald had reported that he had made an extract of the liver, injected it in the veins of 33 patients suffering from high blood pressure, succeeded in lowering the pressures of their systolic blood (pressure as the heart contracts on its out-pumping stroke) from an average of 204 mm. to 142 mm. The diastolic (heart expansion or intake stroke) pressures had come down from an average of 114 mm. to 86 mm.

Dangerous pressures, over 135 (systolic) and 100 (diastolic), are found in sanguine, overfed, overstimulated persons whose sudden and frequent deaths have been called "Americanitis" (TIME, Apr. 27).