Studies on Body Water in Man

1. The total body water was estimated by the antipyrine method in normal subjects and edematous patients. 2. The total body water averaged 56.4% (range 39.6 to 72.6%) in 12 normal males, and averaged 48.6% of their body weight (range 35.0 to 61.3%) in 11 normal females. It presented a remarkable individual variability: it was high in lean subjects and low in obese subjects. 3. Edematous patients were not always differentiated from normal subjects in the percentage of the total body water to their body weight. But a borderline can be drawn between normal subjects and edematous patients by expressing the total body water in the percentage to their standard body weight: About 60% of the standard body weight is the upper limit of the total body water in normal subjects, while the total body water exceeded 60% of the standard body weight in most of the edematous patients.