Blood Chlorides in Conditions Associated with Pneumonia

Attempts have been made in dogs to lower the serum chlorides by means of various procedures. Of these the withholding of food, anoxemia, tissue destruction, anaphylactic shock, leucocytosis, and fever yielded negative results. Ingestion of large amounts of water lowered the chloride level independently of body temperature. The chloride drop under these circumstances could not be accounted for by excretion and appeared to run parallel with an increase in the serum water content. Experimental pneumococcus infection in two animals reduced the serum chloride concentration.