FISHBERG¹ has defined uremia as "A complex auto-intoxication, the variegated clinical picture being the summation of the effects of retention of various urinary constituents." He showed that virtually every known urinary constituent has at one time or another been indicted as an etiologic factor in the production of this syndrome. Of the various retained excretory products, certain ones seem to play a primary role while others are entirely of secondary importance. Some of the manifestations of the uremic syndrome are as yet unexplained, among them various types of cutaneous lesions, pericarditis and others. However, through extensive investigations in recent years, an approach to the more important manifestations has been gained.

Raab² has postulated that the presence of catechol and phenol compounds is a highly contributory if not the main cause of the electrocardiographic changes and the physical signs of cardiac failure in uremic patients.

The gastrointestinal symptoms have