Studies of Total Pulmonary Capacity and Its Subdivisions. v. Normal Values in Female Subjects.

Studies of the total pulmonary capacity and its subdivisions have been made in this clinic during the last two years, in an attempt to obtain a quantitative estimation of the degree of functional disability in cases of chronic pulmonary disease. It was found that the normal values gathered from the literature were insufficient to afford an adequate basis for the detection of pathological alterations, and preliminary studies were consequently made in healthy subjects. The results of measurements made in fifty normal male subjects have been presented in previous papers (11), (12). The data show definite limits of variation for the relative values of some of the subdivisions of the total pulmonary capacity, as well as a definite correlation between the pulmonary capacity and combined physical and radiological measurements of the chest. By means of these measurements the pulmonary capacity in a given normal adult male subject can be predicted with a fair degree of accuracy. Since it seemed probable that the same formula can not be applied in the case of normal female subjects, a similar. series of observations has been made in them. The results are presented in this communication.