Further studies on the liver principle which is effective against burn shock

Abstract

These experiments demonstrate that liver extract, which has significant antiburn shock activity, either when administered parenterally, as in previous work, 1 or orally, as in the present study, is without comparable activity in the shock states which follow hind-leg ischemia or bacterial infection. It has been demonstrated that the mechanism of tourniquet shock in rats is complicated by several factors which are difficult to control. Before a final conclusion regarding the ineffectiveness of liver extract in this type of shock could be drawn, it would appear necessary that complicating factors be controlled. The negative results obtained with liver extract after acute exsanguination permit no conclusions to be drawn regarding liver activity in hemorrhagic shock. The fact that liver is effective in burn shock, but not in tourniquet or bacterial shock, is further evidence for the concept that there are different mechanisms responsible for various types of shock, although all may give rise to a similar terminal picture. It further indicates that therapeutic measures must be evaluated individually for each type of shock, and that results obtained with one type of shock cannot be justifiably transferred to other types of shock.