E.C. Dodds

Variations in alveolar carbon dioxide pressure in relation to meals: a further study

IN a previous number of this Journal (1) one of us (E. C. D.) drew attention to the changes in alveolar carbon dioxide pressure which follow the ingestion of a meal, showing that in the first half or three-quarters of an hour following the meal a rise of from 2 to 6 mm. occurs, with a subsequent fall below the original level and a return to that level during later stages in digestion. In a later paper (2), written in collaboration, we drew attention to the correlation which exists between the curves of gastric acidity and alveolar carbon dioxide pressure following meals, in normal individuals of varying type as regards their gastric secretion. The present series of experiments was designed to throw further light on the later portion of the curve of alveolar carbon dioxide pressure, i.e. that portion of the curve during which the pressure drops below the fasting level.