Nearly a century ago Stokes (23) published the first comprehensive description of what is now called Cheyne-Stokes respiration. Since then a great many articles dealing with the same and similar subjects have appeared. The phenomenon is not very uncommon and the typical clinical picture is familiar to everyone in the medical profession. However, it seems to be less well-known that certain other periodical symptoms may accompany the respiratory changes. In this respect the following case may be of interest.;\led. Clin. nr. 558/1950. Widow, aged 74. The last 3 years she had been suffering from increasing shortness of breath, anginal pains and general infirmity. Her relatives had noticed that she had developed a very poor memory during the last few years. The last month she had got severe vertigo, swollen arms and legs and could hardly manage to stand upright for a few minutes.On admittance dgspnoea, pronounced peripheral cyanosis and oedema of the legs were to be registered. Her mental abilities seemed to be impaired. The heart was enlarged, the blood pressure 200/100, there was auricular fibrillation and liver congestion. The main laboratory findings were moderate albuminuria and a nonprotein nitrogen content in serum of 44 mgm per cent. (3 days later the NPN value had risen to 74 mgm per cent.).During the first day a t the hospitaI she became more disorientated. She now and then left her hed and walked out in the wards speaking lots of meaningless words a n d making wild gestures with her arms. She was accordingly given slight doses of morphine and barbiturate preparations. After a few days of quietness she again grew agitated and mas again given a moderate dose of morphine. After that she fell asleep and in a few hours she developed a typical Cheyne-Stokes respiration which lasted until her death 5 days later.During apnoea she was deeply unconscious and lay entirely motionless, while no reflexes were to be elicited. At thc onset of respiration she began to move in the bed and at hypcrpnoea she lay tossing about waving her arms. In apnoea the
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