This investigation has been undertaken in an endeavor to study the course of the spinal fluid pressure following the intravenous injection of hypertonic solutions.
Of special interest was the recurrence of pressure symptoms and occasional death after apparent clinical improvement in cases of increased intracranial pressure in which treatment with intravenous hypertonic solutions was used, as pointed out by Browder1 and Foley.2
One man and a series of dogs were studied with regard to the effect of hypertonic solutions on the spinal fluid pressure.
In 1901, Cannon3 formulated the theory of the mechanism of cerebral edema, essentially as follows:
1. Edema causes pressure on the vessels, which is transmitted to the arteries and veins, causing an increased blood pressure, with increased transudation and further increase in blood pressure, resulting in a vicious circle leading ultimately to anemia of the brain from vascular compression.
2. At the moment
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