HE PHYSIOLOGICAL ALTERATIOXS produced by hyperventilation are many and varied. Acid-base equilibrium of the body is disturbed, the urine composition and volume are affected, circulatory changes are produced, and the irritabil-ity of the neuromuscular system is altered. Some of these changes will be very briefly summarized in the introduction and discussed in more detail in the body of the re-view. Since the alveolar air carbon dioxide tension is primarily a function of the rate of respiratory ventilation, an increase in respiratory minute volume regularly pro-duces a decreased alveolar air and arterial blood carbon dioxide tension and a fall in blood bicarbonate content. At the outset these changes result in a rise in PH, a condition known as respiratory alkalosis; however, when the hyperventilation is continued over several hours or days, blood PH is restored to nearly normal by re-duction in plasma sodium or increase in plasma chloride or both. These latter adjust-ments in plasma electrolyte composition are brought about largely by the kidneys. As early as I 864 (226) cessation of breathing following a short period of hyperven-
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E. B. Brown (1953) studied this question.