EDEMA 



Abstracts of the Communications which comprised the Sym- 

 posium on edema at the second scientific meeting of the 

 Columbia University Biochemical Association, held 

 at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, 

 on June 5, 191 1 



Contents. 



Pagk 



I. Introduction, with remarks on lymph and its relation to edema. 



William J. Gies 270 



IL The earlier theories of edema. Jacoh Rosenhloom 275 



III. Fischer's theory of edema. William J. Gies 279 



IV. The relation of the heart and blood vessels to edema. 



William Weinherger 316 



V. The blood as a factor in edema. Reuben Ottenberg 319 



VI. Renal edema. Herman O. Mosenthal 320 



I. INTRODUCTION, WITH REMARKS ON LYMPH AND ITS 



RELATION TO EDEMA 



William J. Gies 



Introduction. Edema is a pathological condition. It is char- 

 acterized by an abnormal accumulation of water in a part, er in the 

 whole, of an organism. Great distention may result. Edema may 

 occur in any organism, living or dead. Local edemas are clinically 

 designated by special terms, such as ascites, hydrocele, hydro- 

 cephalus, glaucoma. In most cases these terms indicate specifically 

 the location of a particular edema. 



The water of edema in a given tissue is both intracellular and 

 extracellular in occurrence. The water in edematous tissue appears 

 to be combined, or intimately associated, in large part, with both 

 intracellular and interstitial colloids. The accumulated excess of 

 water in an edematous tissue naturally carries dissolved substances 

 with it, but water accumulates disproportionately, in some respects, 



270 



