Eleven boys with bronchial asthma, mean age 11.2 years, particpated in a 20-month long physical activity programme. The training was performed in an ordinary indoor gymnasium for one hour twice a week. No drugs were given prior to the training sessions. Cardiorespiratory function and dimensions and maximal aerobic capacity were determined before, during and after the training period. The respiratory and circulatory dimensions increased as expected during and after the training period. The respiratory and circulatory dimensions increased as expected during the observation period and after correction for the influence of growth no changes were seen in the variables studied. Nor did the training group differ significantly in any respect from a group of nine asthmatic boys not trained. There was only a slight but not significant increase in the maximal exygen uptake and the ventilatory coefficient in the training group as compared to the non training group. After a one-week winter-camp with high exercise intensity there was a rise in the total ventilation, the ventilatory coefficient and the maximal work performed but the maximal oxygen uptake was not affected. All boys showed a very good ability to participate in the physical activity programme at approximately the same level as the physical education given at school.

SummaryThe frequency of bronchial asthma in Swedish schools was investigated. The incidence in elementary schools during two school‐years with available official reports was 0.73 per cent. The number of children examined was 235,000 and 247,000 in the two groups. In the higher‐grade schools (number of pupils 87,000–138,000) the incidence during the last eight years varied between 0.39 and 0.58 per cent. These figures must be regarded as minimum values. A special study of the conditions in the elementary schools in Stockholm in the spring of 1953 (60,000 pupils) showed an incidence of 1.37 per cent.

Summary 1. The lung volume relationships in 93 children (50 boys and 43 girls) in the 6–14 year age group were studied. 2. The functional residual capacity (VFRC) was measured by a closed circuit method with helium as the test gas. The method was modified to a certain extent for use in children. 3. The vital capacity (Vvc) and its subdivisions, inspiratory capacity (VIC) and expiratory reserve volume (VER), were determined by spirometry in connection with the determination of the VFRC. The residual volume (VR) was calculated as the difference between the VFRC and VER. 4. In 89 double determinations a slight training effect is shown by the fact that the end‐expiratory level is somewhat lower in the second determination. This effect of adaptation is so slight, however, that it does not seem to be of any clinical practical importance. Therefore the difference of the double determinations have been used for the calculation of the random error of the method. 5. The relationships between the different lung volumes and weight, height and sitting height have been determined by regression calculations. Of the three measures of body size examined height has proved to be the most favorable when it is raised to a power somewhat smaller than 3. 6. The boys showed a tendency toward having somewhat higher values than the girls but it has not been possible to prove a statistically significant difference. 7. The ratios, VFRC/VTLC and VR/VTLC, and their relationship to age have been calculated. 8. A diagram for predicting the different lung volumes from height measurements is given. Les diverses composantes du volume pulmonaire ont étéétudiées dans un groupe de 93 enfants de 6 à 14 ans (50 garçons, 43 filles). Le volume résiduel (FCR) a été mesuré par une méthode en circuit fermé, utilisant l'hélium comme gaz témoin. La méthode habituelle a été légèrement modifiée pour son application à l'enfance. La capacité vitale et ses composantes (capacité inspiratoire et capacité expiratoire –VIC et VER dans le texte) ont été mesurées par la spirométrie en association avec la mesure de l'air résiduel (VFCR)‐ VR a été calculé par la différence entre VFCR et VER. Un léger effet de l'entrainement a pu être prouvé par une double mesure dans 89 cas; lors de la deuxième épreuve le taux de fin d'inspiration était un peu plus bas. Cependant, cet effet de l'entrainement est si discret, qu'on peut le négliger dans la pratique des épreuves courantes. Pour cette raison, on a pu utiliser la différence entre les doubles mesures pour le calcul des erreurs de la méthode. Les rapports entre les divers volumes pul monaires d'une part, et le poids, la taille, la taille assise d'autre part, ont été envisagés. La taille a paru l'élément déterminant, à condition qu'elle soit portée à un rapport légè‐rement inféricur à puissance 3. II semblerait que le groupe des garcons montre des chiffres un peu plus élevés que celui des filles; mais, on n'a pu apporter néanmoins de différence statistiquement probante. Les rapports VFCR/VTLC et VR/VTLCainsi que leur comparaison ...

Thirty-one children, 19 boys and 12 girls, aged 3.4--10.8 years, with severe perennial bronchial asthma were treated with beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol (BDA) for 16-40 months. The dose was initially 400 micrograms a day and was gradually reduced to the lowest level giving control of symptoms. Earlier steroid or ACTH-treatment in six children was stopped during the BDA-treatment. At the start of the treatment the mean deviation of height compared with normal values for Swedish children was -0.10 s.d. for the boys and -0.51 s.d. for the girls. At the end of the observation period the deviation was -0.22 s.d. and -0.58 s.d., respectively. The increase in deviation was not significant. Bone age was also slightly retarded before beclomethasone treatment but this deviation was not accentuated during the observation period. It is concluded that treatment with BDA does not retard growth or skeletal maturation in children. The number of acute admissions to hospital was reduced by more than 50% during the first year of treatment.