156 



E. Kerpel-Fronius 



was a water loss of over 20 per cent of body weight in the 

 first case, while in the second an increase in the water content 

 of all organs was observed. Such gross disturbances of 

 homeostasis may partly be due to the fact that although the 

 extracellular body fluids occupy a relatively high percentage 



WElfiHT E.C.FLUID E.C. 

 %OFWEiaMT ABS. 



PL/Kg 



PL.ABS. HAEMA- 

 TOCRIT 



CIRCUL. PAH- 

 TIME ClEARAMtE 



Fig. 2. Extracellular fluids, circulation and PAH clearance 



in the dehydration of a malnourished infant. 

 Values are represented as percentages of those found in 

 normal infants of the same age. The horizontal line indi- 

 cates the normal values (100 per cent); the distance of the 

 top of each column from the normal line shows percentage 

 deviations. 

 White column : before diarrhoea 

 Black column : after diarrhoea 

 E.C. — extracellular; PL. — Plasma. 



of the body weight, the water reserves in infants are low in 

 relation to the functions they may be called upon to perform. 

 In order to reconcile this apparent contradiction, it is 

 helpful to consider the relationship of body fluid reserves to 

 circulation and kidney function in malnourished infants. 

 Malnutrition does not affect all systems of the body equally, 

 fat and muscle sustaining greater losses than the extracellular 



