Normal Passages Research Articles

Hydrogen ion concentration of nasal secretion in situ in newborn infants.

IN PREVIOUS communications1 we reported that (1) the p H of nasal secretion in situ in clinically normal nasal passages of infants and children was found to range within the levels of 5.0 to 6.7, indicating a slightly acid state of secretion, and that (2) during the act of crying and hyperventilating the establishment of an alkaline nasal p H was a dominant finding in infants and very young children. In the present investigation, an unusual opportunity to study the p H of nasal secretion in situ in a group of 13 newborn infants, ranging from 2 to 8 days in age, was provided by the nursery of a metropolitan hospital. The subjects were 7 male and 6 female infants. Although all 13 newborn infants had normal intranasal structures, 1 of the group had cerebral edema and another an occipital encephalocele. All the children were born by the vaginal route

CHRONIC TEARING

<h3>To the Editor:</h3> —During the past few months following the publication of my article, "Chronic Tearing Cured by Reestablishment of Normal Tear Conduction Passages," in the December 1947 issue of theArchives, page 775, I have received a number of requests for more detailed information on the use of indwelling horsehair in maintaining the patency of the newly formed punctum and lower canaliculus. Most of these questions are concerned with what precaution need be taken so that the free end of the horsehair at the punctum does not damage the cornea by scratching or by irritating the globe. I believe it worth while to publish the method that I have been using to obviate this danger since I submitted my article in October 1946. Should the punctum, as well as the lower canaliculus, be closed by scar tissue, I proceed as follows: The point selected for starting the perforation into

RELATION OF THE pH OF NASAL SECRETIONS IN SITU TO THE ACTIVITY OF LYSOZYME: REPORT OF A CASE OF EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED ALLERGIC RHINITIS

In previous communications I1reported that thepHof nasal secretions in situ in clinically normal nasal passages ranges from approximately 5.5 to 6.5 and that these secretions become alkaline during acute rhinitis and acute rhinosinusitis and during the more active phases of allergic rhinitis. In the light of Meyer's2recent accomplishment—increasing the activity of lysozyme from eight to two hundred and fifty times by the addition of a minute amount of biotin—the relationship of thepHof nasal secretions in situ to the activity of lysozyme is of interest. Lysozyme was first described in 1922 by Dr. Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin. It is a substance found in various body tissues and secretions—among them, nasal secretions—which has the property of dissolving certain bacteria. Though lysozyme is most active against nonpathogenic organisms, it can attack pathogenic organisms when allowed to act in the full strength in which it occurs in

Etiology of acute pancreatitis

1. Presence of a common channel between common bile duct and pancreatic duct was found in 16 out of 18 cases of acute pancreatitis. In the majority of these cases pancreatic juice had entered the bile passages, but only in a few of them had bile entered the pancreas. 2. In most cases of acute pancreatitis activation of pancreatic enzymes occurs in the common ampulla and in the biliary passages and is assumed to extend into the pancreas. 3. In three cases of pancreatitis with normal bile passages a reflux of pancreatic juice into the bile passages was found. The finding of a normal biliary system in cases of pancreatitis does not necessitate the assumption of another causative mechanism besides the common channel. 4. Evidence of a common channel was found in mild forms of pancreatitis as well as in pancreatic necrosis. This indicates that the different types of acute pancreatitis may be caused by the same pathogenetic mechanism.