17, 1 
Albert and Horilleno: Enterocolitis 
29 
It will be seen that the average duration in over 50 per cent 
of those with favorable course is from three to four weeks ; com- 
plete recovery is seldom reached before two weeks. 
EDEMA 
The survey of these one hundred cases showed that thirty- 
seven presented edema, twelve of which died. Edema may be 
considered therefore as a not infrequent symptom of enteroco- 
litis in children. 
It appears ordinarily after the first week of the onset of the 
disease, more commonly in the face; and, contrary to the opin- 
ion’s of others, our experience has shown that when it appears 
at the end of the first week it usually means a favorable outcome ; 
that is, that we may look upon it as the forerunner of convales- 
cence. In such cases the edema lasts only a few days and the 
retention of fluids by the tissues seems to favor disintoxication 
by diluting toxins. 
However, when it appears very late in enterocolitis with pro- 
tracted course and frequent relapses, this symptom must be con- 
sidered an unfavorable sign of prognosis, indicating chronic 
advanced toxemia or cachexia, or a complication of the kidney. 
DEHYDRATION 
Dehydration, desiccation, exsiccation, or anhydremia as it has 
lately been called by Marriott, of St. Louis, is another symptom 
to be taken into consideration in acute enterocolitis. Thirty- 
nine of the one hundred cases presented this symptom, of which 
twenty-two died. It is therefore a sign of unfavorable prog- 
nosis. 
One distinguished English authority said, in connection with 
the great importance of this symptom in the treatment of this 
disease: “while the bacteriologists are discussing the types of 
bacilli, the patient died on account of the dehydration which in- 
creases the absortion of the toxins.” 
This symptom when very marked appears in infants as the 
clinical picture called “Habitus Toxicus;” namely, eyes sunken, 
features sharpened, angles of the mouth drawn down, peculiar 
pallor, fontanelles depressed, overlapping of the cranial bones, 
reduced turgor of the skin, and an expression of anxiety over- 
spreading the whole countenance. 
It augurs a very unfortunate outcome and demands an imme- 
diate supply of fluid by hypodermoclysis or phleboclysis in order 
to check the severe toxemia. 
