C(>]fl'<)S/T/(>\ or KI>K\I.\T()V8 FLUIDS 



355 



centration, while lioldiii*-- back the organic substances. Transiidatfis 

 contain an excess of NaCl over other electrolytes, while in exudates 

 the proportion of electrolytes other than chlorides is increased over 

 the finding:s in transudates.^^ The surface tension of exu dates is lower 

 than that of transudates,'^ depending chiefly upon the glol)ulin con- 

 tent. Rzentkowski "'"' found some slight differences in molecular con- 

 centration as indicated by the freezing-point : in tuberculous pleurisy 

 the average lowering was 0.523°, that of the serum being — 0.56°; 

 in cardiac dropsy the subcutaneous fluid gave — 0.548°, and in renal 

 dropsy — 0.583° ; tuberculous peritonitis, — 0.523° ; cirrhosis — 0.536° ; 

 carcinomatous edema — 0.547°. Of these figures, the most significant 

 is the comparatively high molecular concentration of the fluid in 

 nephritis, supporting the contention that the cause of renal edema 

 is retention of crystalloids.'" Tieken '"' has found the results in 

 transudates, exudates, and other body fluids shown in Table IV. 



Table IV 



The very high figures for effusions in nephritis and cardiac incom- 

 petence indicate the concentration of crystalloids in these fluids, and 



53Gruner, Biocliem. Jour., 1907 (2), 383. 

 54Trevisan, Zeit. exp. Path.. 1011 (10), 141. 

 55Loc. cit.,iG and also Berl. klin. Woch., 1904 (41), 227. 



56 Purulent exudates may show a high molecular concentration (-0.84° in one 

 case), due to decomposition of the proteins into crvstalloids (Rzentkowski). 

 5' Amer. Medicine, 1905 (10), 822. 



