Chemical constituents in the blood and liver of a sample of normal pigs

Abstract

Samples of blood and liver from 101 bacon pigs of known histories were analyzed for calcium, magnesium, vitamin A, carotene, sodium chloride, alkaline phosphatase, phosphorus, copper, and zinc contents of the blood and copper, cobalt, zinc, manganese, and vitamin A contents of the liver. The mineral, trace element, and vitamin A status of a sample of normal bacon pigs varied within wide limits. The results have been analyzed to show the effect of season and of type of ration. Although the subdivision of the results by season and type of ration does not give results which lie outside the ranges bounded by the mean and standard deviations of the sample, it indicates that these factors may be related to the wide ranges obtained for many of the constituents. These parameters should therefore be considered in the evaluation of the results of tests used in diagnostic work.