POTASSIUM DEFICIENCY IN BULBAR POLIOMYELITIS

During the past several years there have been an increasing number of reports concerning potassium deficiency in many clinical conditions, including infantile diarrhea, 1 alkalosis due to intestinal and pyloric obstruction and vomiting, 2 and in many postoperative patients. 3 Our studies on potassium metabolism in surgical patients have led us to investigate many other conditions we believed might be associated with a deficiency of potassium. Three cases of bulbar poliomyelitis in which the electrolyte metabolism was studied are reported. REPORT OF CASES Case 1. —A woman aged 29 was admitted to Cook County Contagious Hospital on Sept. 13, 1950, with a history of dysphagia of two days' duration. This dysphagia was manifested by inability to swallow, accumulation of saliva, and a "full feeling in the throat." Temperature was 102.4 F., pulse 100, and respirations 20. A nasal twang, slight redness of the pharynx, paralysis of the soft palate, and