A STUDY OF THE MECHANICAL FACTORS IN EXPERIMENTAL ACUTE PULMONARY EDEMA

During recent years the rôle of chemical agents in the development of edema has received considerable attention and several theories have been propounded with a view of explaining all forms of edema on a chemical basis. As a consequence the importance of mechanical factors has been somewhat discredited. Previous studies of the mechanical agents in acute pulmonary edema would indicate that here the phenomena may be explained on a mechanical basis. A continuance of these studies might, therefore, be of interest in order to determine whether pulmonary edema the result of other means than those previously employed could be explained without the aid of chemical agents.

In an exhaustive article published in 1878, William H, Welch¹ made the first attempt to explain, on an experimental basis, the phenomena of acute pulmonary edema. Working with rabbits he determined that ligation of the thoracic aorta, in such a