SECRETION AND EXCRETION 339 



As the result of these colloid-chemical views, MARTIN H. FISCHER 

 successfully treated experimental anuria (of rabbits) by introducing 

 salts which counteracted the development of edema. Upon ligating 

 the renal arteries of rabbits diminished secretion of urine occurs, and 

 the kidney may be so damaged that the anuria persists. M. H. 

 FISCHER injected solutions of sodium phosphate, sodium sulphate, 

 sodium chlorid, after which the edema receded and the secretion of 

 urine recommenced. He also obtained gratifying results clinically 

 by administering hypertonic solutions of sodium carbonate and so- 

 dium chlorid which is a treatment quite opposite to the customary one. 

 His purpose is to hinder the accumulation of acid in the kidneys. 

 The prohibition of violent exercise, the substitution of a vegetarian 

 diet rich in alkalis for a meat diet and the drinking of alkaline min- 

 eral waters is the customary treatment for nephritics and is explained 

 by FISCHER on the basis of his acid theory of albuminuria. We 

 have discussed on page 239 the criticism FISCHER'S theory received. 

 FISCHER has offered a new working hypothesis whose experimental 

 discussion will be very productive, no matter which side ultimately 

 wins. [A. A. EPSTEIN has recently successfully treated edema in cer- 

 tain types of chronic parenchymatous nephritis by transfusion and, 

 adopting the practice of FERNAND WIDAL and of HERMANN STRAUSS. 

 feeding large quantities of protein, 120-240 gm. per day, in an endeavor 

 to increase the blood proteins which he had found were diminished. 

 The increase in the osmotic pressure of the blood due to the added 

 protein restored the normal relations between tissues and blood. 

 The fluid which exudes in response to osmotic pressure of proteins 

 should be salt and water. EPSTEIN found that such was the com- 

 position of edema and effusion fluids in chronic parenchymatous 

 nephritis. Am. Jour. Med. Sc., No. 548, Nov. 1917, p. 638 et seq.] 



A functional incapacity of the concentrating activity of the upper 

 uriniferous tubules becomes evident whenever the glomerular fil- 

 trate is not materially altered, and the composition of the urine 

 approaches that of an ultrafiltrate of the blood. As a matter of fact, 

 this may be observed in many cases. [The antidiuretic action of the 

 extract of pituitary posterior lobe and pars intermedia extract has 

 not yet been satisfactorily explained. MOTZFELD* concluded, as the 

 result of experiments on rabbits, that it is due to a stimulation of 

 the renal vasomotor system. Tr.] 



We saw that the freezing point depression of the blood was re- 

 markably constant about 0.56 but that for the urine it varies be- 

 tween 0.07 and 3.5. 



A. VON KORANYI* showed that the " limits of accommodation" 

 of renal function were diminished in proportion to the severity of the 



