Dynamics and control of the body fluids (Circulatory physiology)

From Preface... This monograph on the body fluids and their regulation is the second volume in this series on circulatory physiology. The text of the monograph is written with the belief that modern physiology and modern medical practice fuse into a common science. Therefore, we have presented very basic data as well as analysis of the body fluid control mechanisms and have also attempted to show the applicability of the basic principles to many clinical problems of body fluid regulation. ...important keystones to understanding the overall logic of the body fluid system [included here] are as follows: 1. Development of the concept of negative interstitial fluid pressure...[and] how the body stabilizes interstitial fluid volume. ...[also] explains the critical occurrence of edema when an abnormality of the circulation or kidneys develops beyond the threshold point. 2. Discovery of new principles related to tissue gel has made it possible to understand both convective & diffusional characteristics of fluid movement through the tissues. 3. Discovery of many new find points of structure of the lymphatic capillaries, especially description of the "anchoring filaments" & the valve-like character of the endothelial junctions in the lymphatic capillaries making possible to construct a logical picture of lymph formation. 4. Quantitative analyses of all the processes involved in edema formation have made possible the development of the concept of "safety factor against edema"... 5. The systems analysis approach to analyzing physiological mechanisms...in determining quantitative importance of different factors in body fluid regulation. ...Most important of all, we have attempted to show that the mechanisms for control of the body fluids are suddenly beginning to display a logical pattern, a pattern that is being substantiated by experiment and that clarifies many of the important problems of both the basic and the clinical scientists.