HEAT STROKE: CLINICAL AND CHEMICAL OBSERVATIONS

The problem of heat diseases has long been an important one in the tropics, in certain indus-tries and occupations requiring exposure of in-dividuals to high temperatures, and during periods of excessively hot weather in the cities of the United States. In spite of the voluminous literature on the subject, there is no unanimity of opinion regarding the predisposing and precipitat-ing factors which bring about such reactions. Three fairly distinct clinical syndromes may occur as the result of an excessively high environ-mental temperature. These are heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. The syndrome of heat cramps has long been known among workers in hot environments. In addition to severe mus-cular cramps, these patients sweat profusely and have a normal temperature. The work of Edsal