ALKALOSIS AND ACIDOSIS 103 



Alkalosis and Acidosis. The views as to the special 

 intoxication picture which tends to manifest itself in Eck 

 fistula animals after meat diet have recently undergone an 

 unexpected change. F. Fischler, in Krehl's Clinic in 

 Heidelberg, from observations based on a large amount 

 of material, differentiates the toxic symptom complex 

 into two groups, only one of which he is willing to at- 

 tribute directly to the meat diet. The other group of 

 symptoms he believes to be determined by degenerative 

 changes in the liver, referable to lesions of the pancreas pro- 

 duced in the course of the operation and to consequent escape 

 of free pancreatic ferment. Against these latter features 

 of the toxic complex it should be possible to prepare the 

 animal by appropriate immunization with trypsin. As far 

 as the features of meat intoxication are concerned (thus in 

 some sense isolated in purer form), Fischler states that he 

 has never met among his Eck fistula dogs, in spite of ex- 

 cessive meat feeding, excretion of an acid urine ; and because 

 ostensibly administration of phosphoric acid may prevent or 

 cure the toxic features, he believes it may be assumed that an 

 ' ' alkalosis ' ' is of importance in their production, a patho- 

 logical influence of alkaline material upon the tissues. 10 

 As before stated other authors have held to the idea of an 

 acidosis in the study of this and of allied conditions, and 

 have explained the increased ammonia elimination in con- 

 sonance therewith. The same view is applied, for example, 

 in the hepatic lesions observed by Gautrelet after injection of 

 methylene blue or sodium fluoride. 11 It is not hard to un- 

 derstand how a disinterested observer might be unable to 

 resist a feeling of general distrust in such a position. And 

 yet the difference may be only an apparent one ; and perhaps 

 the following may approximate the truth. One should recall 



10 F. Fischler (Med. Clinic, Heidelberg), Deutsch. Arch. f. klin. Med., 104, 

 300, 1911. 



11 J. Gautrelet, with K. Mallifi and H. Gravelat, C. R. Soc. de Biol., 60, 551, 

 714, 1906. 



