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kind. Indeed it seemed to me that a definite want would be 

 supplied; for, in spite of an increasing importance in medicine, 

 there was as yet no comprehensive book on all phases of the 

 cerebrospinal fluid. 



FROM THE PREFACE 



Cerebrospinal fluid is of great physiologic importance for 

 various reasons. It is the clearest and most transparent of all 

 the fluids of the body. It is clearer than blood, than bile, and 

 even clearer than urine, and under normal conditions experi- 

 ments may be made on it without fear of clot formation or color 

 change. Furthermore, cerebrospinal fluid, like blood and urine, 

 can be removed from the living body without injury to the 

 system. This gives one the opportunity of working with pro- 

 cesses in the living body — a distinct advantage over the study 

 of dead tissue. 



From the standpoint of pathology also, cerebrospinal fluid 

 presents an exceptional opportunity for study. The slightest 

 change in the color of the fluid, the smallest increase in the pro- 

 tein content or in the cell count, all of which are easily discern- 

 ible, indicate the presence of a pathologic process. One is able 

 to follow the course of disease throughout all stages by noting 

 the various changes the cerebrospinal fluid undergoes from time 

 to time. These changes may be manifested not only by the 

 presence of the causative organisms themselves, but just as 

 frequently by specific physical, chemical, cytologic and physico- 

 chemical processes. A close study of the changes in the cere- 

 brospinal fluid under pathologic conditions throws light, not 

 only on the specific diseases of the nervous system, but on the 

 condition of other systems. One can readily see, therefore, how 

 large is the scope for the study of cerebrospinal fluid. 



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