Since it is widely believed that the metabolic disturbance, in toxemia, is related to the nitrogenous part of the diet, the course usually followed in this particular is a reduction of the nitrogen intake. This is accomplished by putting the patient on a very low protein diet or a milk diet, consisting of two quarts of milk daily. This amount of milk provides adequate nourishment, for the time being, and also supplies a large part of the fluid which is needed to promote elimination. In addition to this, however, the patient is given one, or better still, two quarts of water every day, and free saline purges. Very frequently this treatment is all that is necessary. The blood pressure falls in a few days, the albumen in the urine gradually disappears, the patient completely recovers and in due time has a normal labor. But in more severe and less amenable cases it is necessary to increase the eliminative treatment and give copious colonic irrigations; sweat baths, in the form of hot packs or hot air baths, and even venesection and saline infusions, in order to relieve the symptoms. Sometimes, even these are not enough and the high blood pressure and albumen, which are probably the most significant symptoms, will continue. If so, and the patient grows worse, or if she simply fails to respond to the treatment, the usual practice is to induce labor. A daily output of five grams of albumen to a litre of urine, and a blood pressure of 200 millimetres are usually regarded as insistent indications that pregnancy should be terminated. Otherwise, eclampsia, always so dreaded, is practically sure to follow and endanger the life of both mother and child. It may be mentioned here that the normal blood pressure, during the latter part of pregnancy, is about 120 millimetres. A gradual increase to 130, or even 140 millimetres, may not be serious, but a sudden rise or a pressure of 150 millimetres should be regarded with alarm, even though all other symptoms be absent. The reason for this is that eclampsia may, and sometimes does, occur with little or no warning except the high, or suddenly increasing blood pressure. ECLAMPSIA. Pre-eclamptic toxemia, as the name suggests, is a condition that frequently precedes eclampsia, and the importance of the prevention, early recognition and prompt treatment of this forerunner is due to the seriousness of eclampsia which threatens to ensue. This disease, which may be defined as a toxemia occurring before, during or after labor, is one of the gravest complications which arise in obstetrics. It is usually associated with both tonic and clonic convulsions, unconsciousness and coma.