During the past few years it has been demonstrated, chiefly by the work of Bauman (1), Loeb (2), Harrop (3) and their associates, that the suprarenal glands play an important role in the regulation of the base metabolism of the body. Bauman and Kurland in 1926 found the plasma sodium and chloride to be decreased and the potassium, magnesium and calcium to be increased in cats and rabbits as a result of suprarenalectomy. In 1932 Loeb discovered the sodium and chloride of the blood plasma to be significantly decreased and the potassium to be increased in untreated cases of Addison's disease. Furthermore, he found such patients to be benefited greatly by the ingestion of sodium chloride in relatively large amounts. He and his associates (4) later reported similar findings in experimental adrenal insufficiency in dogs. They showed the lowering of the plasma sodium and chloride to be due to increased excretion of these elements. At the same time potassium appeared to be released from the cells of the body into the plasma at an abnormally rapid rate or to be retained as a result of impaired renal function. Harrop and his associates, working independently, observed similar changes in the chloride, sodium and potassium of the blood serum of adrenalectomized dogs and reported slight increases in the calcium and magnesium as well. They also confirmed the observation of Loeb regarding the beneficial effects of sodium chloride administration in Addison's disease. As a corollary to this latter finding, they pointed out that salt restriction accentuates the symptoms of adrenal cortical insufficiency and so may be employed as a reliable diagnostic test in latent cases of Addison's disease.
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McQuarrie et al. (1937) studied this question.