THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE LUNGS IN EMPHYSEMA 1

Abstract

In pulmonary emphysema normal respiratory mechanisms become distorted almost beyond rec- ognition, and familiar landmarks such as "dead space," "alveolar gas" and "effective ventilation" virtually disappear. At the same time, these very distortions have served as a stimulus for studies which have led to a greater understanding of the problems of distribution of ventilation, and of blood flow within the lungs.