326 THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE [June, 1936

GASTRIC ANALYSIS IN ASTHMA

By L. EVERARD NAPIER, m.r.c.p. (Lond.)

and

DHARMENDRA, m.b., b.s.

{From the School of Tropical Medicine, Calcutta)

In a previous publication (Dharmendra and Napier, 1935) we reported the results of fractional gastric analyses in 30 cases of asthma. Amongst that series hypo-acidity was present in only 1 case, there was normal acidity in 15 cases, and hyper-acidity in 14 cases. The ages of the patients varied between 20 and 56 years. The results of fractional gastric analyses in another 38 cases of asthma are reported here. In this series achlorhydria was present in 2, hypochlorhydria in 3, normal acidity in 20 and hyperchlorhydria in 13 cases. This is shown in table I and figure 1 gives the mean readings and

the standard deviations of these readings. The

age incidence in this series was practically the same as in the last one, the ages varying between 15 and 55 years. A comparison of the two sets of figures shows

that in the present series there are 2 cases of

achlorhydria while there were none previously,

Table I

Free hydrochloric acid values in 38 cases of asthma

Achlorhydria

Hypochlorhydria

Low normal

Normal

Hy perchl orhydria

Highest value of free acid

Nil

Under 15 units.

Under 20 units.

25 to 50

units.

55 to 115

units.

Number of cases

2

3

4

16

13

Percentage of series

5.26

7.89

10.52

42.12

34.21

the percentage of hypochlorhydria is greater, and the mean readings of free acid are lowei

than in the previous series. Oatmeal gruel was used as the test meal in both the series.

The results in both these series bear a marked contrast to the results obtained in cases of

asthma by most other workers who report a

much higher incidence of achlorhydria hypochlorhydria (Maxwell, Hurst, Bray,

Gillespie, etc.). As the values of free hydro- chloric acid vary with age it is best to compare our results with those obtained from the same

age group. The age incidence of 73 out of 109 cases reported by Gillespie (1935) is between 16 and 50 years. Of these 73 cases 33, f-e-> 45.2 per cent, had low free acidity. Against this out of our 68 cases only 6, i.e., 8.8 per cent, had no or low free acid (table II).

Graph

0 " ' ' 11' ' '' ' ' ' T ' ' ' ' ' ' 1' ' ' ' ' ' ' 1 " I I J_

H/n NaOH y4 V2 % 1 1)5 >/?,

Free hydrochloric acid. Mean readings and standard deviations in 38 cases.

Graph

Free hydrochloric acid. Mean readings and standard deviations in 38 cases.

?Tune, 1936] PYREXIA FROM B. COLUMBENSIS : THOMAS & BOSE 327

Table II

Results of gastric analyses in 68 cases of asthma

Number of Percentage cases of series

Achlorhydria Hypochlorhydria formal acidity ..

?Hvperchlorhydria

. Most of our cases belonged to the bronchitic,

l-e., the non-allergic, type of asthma. This appears to be the cause of marked differences between our results and those of other workers, who mostly deal with the allergic cases.

References

Dharmendra and Napier, L. E. (1935). Indian Med. Gaz., Vol. LXX, p. 301.

Gillespie, M. (1935). Quart. Journ. Med., Vol. IV, P. 397.

abstract of a paper on EXPERI- MENTAL MALARIAL INFECTION OF 4. SUBPICTUS GRASSI (A. ROSSI ' TYPE' GILES) By C. STRICKLAND, m.a., m.d. (Cantab.)

and D. N. ROY, m.d., d.t.m. (Cal.)

School of Tropical Medicine, Calcutta

The above title covered a paper by Strick- land and Roy (1936). The authors in Calcutta compared the experi-

mental malarial infection rate in A. subpictus Grassi {A. rossi) with that of A. stephensi and found that under conditions when 100 per cent of A. stephensi became infected, the infection in the former did not proceed beyond the zygote stage. It is noteworthy that these results were entirely different from those obtained by Walch and Soesilo (1929) and the point inter alia was suggested that they related to another

' race' of A. subpictus, a state of affairs reminiscent of the differential infectivity of the

' races' of the

European maculipennis. Nearly coincidentally with the authors' paper,

one by Walch and Walch-Sordrager (1935) has appeared in which they have pointed out con- siderable differences between the eggs of the Indian and Malayan forms (see table).

Table

Walch and Walch- Sordrager

Christophers and Barraud (1931)

Differences between the eggs of

A. subpictus in India and Java

average Length .. 464.6 Greatest breadth 179.4 ^ Number of ribs !

20.2 of float-

Length of float 0.53 /a relative to total length.

average 660 n

210 n

30?40

(Continued at foot of next column)

(Continued from previous column)

It appears now therefore that sanitary inspectors and malaria surveyors may have to

make their reports on the anopheline eggs of a

locality rather than on the larvae.

References

Christophers, S. R., and Barraud, P. J. (1931). Rec. Malaria Survey, India, Vol. II, p. 161.

Strickland, C., and Roy, D. N. (1936). Geneesk.

Tijdschr. v. Nederl.-Indie, Vol. LXXVI, p. 387. Walch, E. W., and Soesilo, R. (1929). Mededeel.

Dienst Volks-gezondh. Nederl.-Indie, Vol. XVIII, p. 453.

Walch, E. W., and Walch-Sordrager, G. B. (.1935). Ibid., Vol. XXIV, p. 73.