AN ACCOUNT OF THE ORIGINS OF THE INVESTIGATIONS OF JAMES L. GAMBLE AND AN ANALYSIS OF HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO PHYSIOLOGY AND MEDICINE

摘要

The investigative work of James L. Gamble found its instigation in the accentuated peculiarities of disease in infants and children, but as much as any other research in the field of pediatrics, his contributions have been universally applicable to all areas of medicine. The enormous and fruitful body of knowledge of water and electrolyte metabolism now at hand had much of its origin and a considerable segment of its basic foundation arise from the pioneer work of a small group of American pediatricians. Not only were their investigations of great value as pure contributions to the natural sciences, but their work has had an enormous practical application. In a review in 1950 by Darrow and Pratt1 it is stated: "Probably the proper use of water and electrolyte solutions is responsible for saving more lives of seriously ill patients than is the use of any other group of substances." Dr. Gamble was the last survivor of this small group of originators of basic concept upon which so much has been constructed.As a sketch of Gamble's life is available elsewhere,2 it seems more pertinent in this place to undertake a résumé of the history of the period of remarkable scientific achievement in which Gamble played so great a role. The study of the body fluids had its inception in efforts to understand and treat the dysenteric diseases. During the Nineteenth Century a few physicians studied the effects of abnormal losses of intestinal fluids, drew surprisingly correct conclusions and even assayed, with success, treatment with parenteral fluids.