For many years dextrose has been recognized as a carbohydrate which, when given orally or parenterally, is readily available for the purpose of combustion within the body. To give by mouth quantities sufficient to meet the needs of the special conditions for which this material is suited, and to give it in the dilution required to meet the needs of the organism is usually highly inconvenient or impossible, especially in infants and in young children. For the administration of dextrose subcutaneously, intravenously or intraperitoneally, an isotonic solution is, in most cases, desirable; this means a due consideration of the amounts to be used at any given time. This is especially true when the intravenous route is chosen because of the strain on the heart caused by large amounts of fluid introduced in this way, and when the subcutaneous route is used because of the mechanical restriction as to space and