THIS report presents a brief summary of the advances concerning the inorganic ion contents of the labyrinthine fluids in a variety of species including man. Further references on this aspect and on the biophysical characteristics and biochemistry of inorganic and organic substances can be found in the review of Maggio.1 The concentration of electrolytes apparently varied with the method of collecting samples. In particular, the variation became significant when the sample was collected in living animals as compared with that of dead animals. After death a rapid exchange of electrolytes occurs which may explain some conflicting data. This point was emphasized by Rodgers and Chou2 and others. For this reason and for convenience the data collected for this review are presented in tables separating living from dead animals.
Potassium, Sodium, and Chlorine Contents of Perilymph.—Table 1 presents the data of several investigators on the inorganic ion composition