1. Experiments at Bonn. MAlatrx (192'5; 1926 a, b, c, d; 1928), wtxorking at the Medical Clinic at Bonn, investigated the drinking test A1 litre water xxithin a few minutes in a state of fasting). The haemoglobin percentage of the blood was measured ev-ery 1.5 minutes and the volume and specific gravity of the urine every 830 minutes. In normal cases the haeemoglobin curve shox\-ed a dilution of the blood with a peak betwe-en 20 and 40 minutes, and a smaller maximum between; 50 and 80 minutes. The original level was regained in 4 to 5 hours. Identical curves Nere obtained after drinking 1,000 cc., 250 cc., or; 30 cc. w-ater or normal saline. The diuresis was less constant. The specific gravity showed one phase of dilution only. Abnormal reactions, found in diseases of kidney and heart or in glandular insufficiency, were attributed to a general disturbance of the capillary endothelium, which was regarded as the barrier to the exchange between blood and tissue
2. also at Bonn, took the interpretation of this test for granted and reported on sixteen cases of clhronic simple glaucoma in which only these sy stemic responses wNere studied (Schmidt, 1928a). The ocular tension N-as not measured. Eight of the sixteen haemoglobini curves were abnormal, but in his opinion fifteen patients reacted abnormally because of delayed diuresis and/or irregular dilution of the urine. His conclusion was that in chronic simple glaucoma a disturbance of the capillary endothelium is present;Schmidt
3. In later publications (1928b, c; 1929; 1931) he also reported a rise of the ocular tension during the test in all cases of untreated simple glaucoma, which was the same after drinking 1,000 cc., 250 cc., r0 cc., or 90 cc,1931
4. His views were shared by his teaclher Romer,1928
5. Although in a control test with normal saline de Decker obtained smaller rises, which were within the error of tonometry (the report on a second case is misleading), he attributed the effect to the increase of plasma in the blood,1929