Blood Chemistry, Urine Analysis and Hæmocytology in Acute Febrile Infections

During the febrile stages of most acute infections both the total and the nitrogen metabolisms are found to be considerably altered. These, under ordinaryconditions of feeding, usually result in negative nitrogen balances and a breakdown of proteins attributed to the combined effect of increased calorie expenditure and to the destruction of the tissues. The ' toxic destruction of proteins' appears to parallel the intensity of the injury and the severity of the infection. Earlier work on this subject has been reviewed by Huppert, Voit and Senator. The researches were directed to the study : (1) Of urine nitrogen output in fevers. Increased output has been reported in cases of malaria by Jochmann and Tranbe; in typhoid and acute rheumatism by Huppert, Brattler and others. (2) Of total and fractional proteins both clinically and with animals. Experiments were conducted by Langstein and Meyer, Moll and Pfeiffer. (3) Of N.P.N, and urea both in the blood and urine by different workers. The present trend in research has clearly demonstrated that nitrogen metabolism during the febrile process shows marked irregularity. Sidney Ringer and Senator in their studies of malaria have shown that even when the rise of temperature is cut short by quinine the increased destruction of proteins still