COMPOSITION OF EDEMATOUS FLUIDS 



295 



COMPOSITION OF EDEMATOUS FLUIDS 



As is well known, the composition of edematous fluids 

 varies greatly according to the cause of the edema and the 

 place where it occurs. In general, non-inflammatory edemas 

 (transudates) contain much less proteid than do the inflam- 

 matory exudates, as is shown by the following table of analyses 



TABLE I. 



by Halliburton * and by Bernheim's 2 determinations of proteids 

 in ascitic fluids. 



TABLE II. 



Parts of proteid to 1000 c.c. fluid. 



The specific gravity varies nearly in direct proportion to the 

 amount of proteids, that of transudates usually being below 1.015, 

 and exudates above 1.018, although there are many exceptions. 

 Indeed, it is often very difficult to decide whether a given fluid 



1 Adami, Allbutt's System, 1896 (1), 97. 



2 Quoted by Hammarsten, "Physiological Chemistry" (Amer. ed.), 1904, 

 p. 223. 



