A REVISED STANDARD OF NORMALITY, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE ‘CYSTOID’ THEORY

Abstract

Summary I. The ureters, kidney pelvis, and calices acting as the upper excretory tract pass through wide variatioiis in form and position in accordance with bodily movement and posture, vdriable quantities of urine to be handled, and fluctuations in the pressure and resistance to be overcome. 2. Many of these variations as seen in pyelograms, such as so‐called nephroptosis, hydronephrosis, dilatations, strictures, and kinks, are pictorial representations of physiological or compensatory and reversible phenomena and not an indication of pathology. 3. The current conception of a continuous peristaltic wave as the mechanism of excretion is untenable and incompatible with the appearances seen in pyelograms.