.\\AT():\ric.\i; AND piivsior.odiCAr, iwctors 83 



regulating the body temperature, production and distribution of 

 blood, and the nieclianisms regulating the acid-base and water 

 balance. 



Locke (1937, 1939) has worked out indices of fitness to resist 

 infection of the respiratory tract based upon the relative efficiency 

 of the temperature control mechanism in rabbits and of the capac- 

 ity of oxygen replacement during exercise in man. He defines fit- 

 ness as ability to support a forced performance of work at an 

 effective rate of speed. In his opinion lack of fitness is a predis- 

 posing factor in such infections as pneumonia and the common cold. 



It is quite evident that both the central and vegetative nervous 

 systems are of considerable importance in immunological phe- 

 nomena since functional change is dependent upon nervous as 

 well as hormonal and direct stimulation. Pain of itself may 

 lower resistance through resulting fatigue of the patient or on 

 the other hand may protect a patient through forcing the immo- 

 bilization of jiart or all of the body, decent investigations involv- 

 ing the use of diathermy and also of llie malarial parasite in the 

 treatment of paresis suggest that fever favors phagocytosis of 

 spirochetes by cells of the reticulo-endothelial system. 



The use of hot wet dressings is still one of the important 

 measures employed in the treatment of aciite septic infections. 

 When such an infection occurs upon an extremity, the physician 

 shows his interest in the local blood supply and buffer mechanism 

 of the blood by elevating the extremity, thus permitting of removal 

 of venous blood by gravity and at the same time favoring an 

 increased arterial supply. The latter supplies oxygen, leucocytes, 

 antibodies, and an excollent group of buffer substances consisting 

 of hemoglobin, the serum proteins, and alkalies. The physiologist 

 considers hemoglobin tlie most important buffer of all. 



When the physician examines a patient suffering from severe 

 septic infection, he makes a note of whether the skin shows normal 

 turgor or whether there is evidence of dehydration, and he fre- 

 quently determines tlie COo combining power of the patient's 

 blood to ascertain the condition of the alkali reserve. Both 

 dehydration and lessened alkali reserve favor infection and are 

 combated by the administration of fluids and alkalies or some 

 substitute that helps restore the normal alkali reserve. The state 

 of lowered alkali reserve is spoken of as acidosis wliile the presence 



