Part III. The Respiratory Regulation in Psychotic Subjects

Abstract

The preceding studies on the acid-base equilibrium in psychotics have made it evident that the failure to adjust must be attributed in the first instance to an inadequacy of the respiratory compensatory mechanism, and can be in no sense attributable to either a deficiency in the buffering power of the blood itself or to an increased organic acid production (acidosis). We have endeavoured to determine the excitability of the respiratory centre to the stimulus created by CO₂. For this purpose a number of psychotic patients were tested as to the excitability of the respiratory centre to air containing 2% CO₂and the reaction compared with that obtaining in a number of normal subjects.