THE FRONTIERS OF MEDICINE 



blood vessels and back again to the heart, fluid begins 

 to accumulate in the lower part of the body. If the person 

 has a job like that of motorman or saleswoman, which 

 compels him or her to be on the feet all day, the legs and 

 feet will be found edematous. If the person is inactive 

 and in bed, the thighs and the hips may be the parts most 

 affected. Within the body itself the liver may be swollen, 

 and fluid may accumulate in the abdominal cavity. 



In the days before this situation was understood, it 

 was customary to remove great quantities of fluid by tap- 

 ping; and because the source of the trouble was not touched, 

 the fluid that was removed was promptly replaced by a 

 new accumulation. Operations have been developed for 

 controlling this matter, but far more important is the treat- 

 ing of the diseased organ or tissue fundamentally respon- 

 sible. It must be understood that the swelling due to an 

 accumulation of water is a symptom and not a disease. 

 It is important to know whether it is due to the heart or 

 to the kidneys that are failing to function, and this can 

 be determined only by the most efficient scientific investiga- 

 tion. When the fact is finally known, it is possible — by 

 controlling the diet, by controlling the fluid intake, by 

 the use of sweating particularly, and by various other 

 methods — to bring about control. 



Adds and Alkalis. Since the campaign of the California 

 growers of oranges for the education of the public, the 

 word "acidosis" has meant something to the majority of 

 people. Somehow the word "acid" has developed a most 

 unfavorable connotation in the human mind, while the 

 word "alkali" is little understood by the average 

 reader. 



Acidosis is not a disease, but a disturbance of the rela- 

 tionship between acids and alkalis in the human body. 

 Both types of substance occur in human tissues. If a suffi- 

 cient amount of acid is retained in the body to increase 



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