Intravenous Use of Extract of Liver

In the early stages of the chemical fractionation of liver, begun in an effort to isolate the active principle effective in pernicious anemia, Cohn, Minot and their associates 1 produced an active extract, the so-called fraction G, which could be readily prepared and was found to be eminently satisfactory in the treatment of pernicious anemia. Later Cohn, 2 West 3 and their respective associates produced numerous experimental fractions, which were given by mouth; but it was not until Cohn 4 was able to prepare fractions which gave no specific protein reactions and which had no reducing effect on the blood pressure of animals that it was considered possible to administer the active principle intravenously to patients. After this stage of the work had been reached, Cohn, 5 West 6 and their respective associates prepared many potent fractions, which were injected intravenously into patients. The methods of preparing fractions then regarded