The Effect of Psychological Stress Procedures on the Prothrombin Time of Rats

ARIOUS WORKERS have teported experiniemstal amid clinical ohset-s-atiomss which suggested that psychological stress might affect the blood coagulation system. As early as 1771 William Hesi-somi msoted hypercoagulability of the blood follosvcd hemorrhage. In 1903 Vosburgh amid Richards29 observed misome iapid (‘0-agulatioms accompanied ami imicrease ins the blood sugar of dogs receis-imsg adtemialins. Its vieiv of the relevamsec of chamsges ims coagulability from adremsalims to Camsmsomi’s ivork ois bodily changes durimig pain amid emotiomsal excitemenit, the latter con-ducted several studies amid found that imi deccrebratc cats adrenalin in suitable doses considerably reduced the clotting time, ivhilc larger doses usually produced an iiscreasc its the blood coagulat-ioms time follow-cd in sonic cases by a t-eduction. Paims evoked by stimulatiomi of the splanchnic nerve, and emotionsal reactiomss ivere also followed by a shortemsitsg of the blood coagulatiomi tinse.t3 Mon-c recenst reports by Cole5 on rats exposed to sound, by Ungar28 ois guinea pigs traumsiatized in a drum, and by Morcautl omi frogs receiving electrical itijury shoss-ed deem-ease in the coagulatiomi time of blood. Clinical reports have revealed ant alterations o