Studies in Diabetes Insipidus, Water Balance, and Water Intoxication

The Effects of Sustained Pituitary Antidiuresis and Forced Water Drinking in Epileptic Children. A Diagnostic and Etiologic Study 12

“…Because of the tendency for convulsions to follow interference with blood supply to the brain (10) (11) (12) to be the major factor in the causation of convulsions in experimental "water intoxication," a reaction similar in certain respects to that of our experiments. Generalized convulsions, which were said in their earlier papers to be epileptiform in type, were produced in normal experimental animals by these observers, when water was administered at the enormous rate of 100 cc.…”

Teaching Clinic—Review: DIABETES INSIPIDUS*

“…Undoubtedly, this would have been less severe had the patient not continued to drink after the onset of symptoms. Water intoxication may also occur in patients with diabetes insipidus (and in normal subjects) who continue to drink, or are forced to drink large amounts of fluid following administration of Pitressin (65)(66)(67)(68)(69). In hydrated subjects, a dose of 50 milliunits of Pitressin is sufficient to induce a maximal antidiuretic response, and this antidiuresis may be prolonged by increasing the dosage (70).…”

Diabetes Insipidus

“…' Cushny (1926) and Cushing (I932) both suggested that the polydipsia was primary. Many patients are absolutely convinced that their thirst began before their polyuria, and there are several case reports in the literature (Nothnagel, I88I; Futcher, I904; Kennaway and Mottram, I9I9; Weir, Larson and Rowntree, 1922;Kourilsky, 1947). In Dandy's case (1940), the pituitary stalk was deliberately cut at operation: thirst appeared soon after the return of consciousness and was quickly followed by a very high output of urine.…”