Abstract
1. Change of blood pressure distribution due to an abrupt postural change from supine to sitting position, when followed up continuously, is shown to take a course characteristic to the autonomic condition of the subject. Professor Hukuda recommends it as a test of functional constitution.
2. In healthy Japanese women, the brachial systolic blood pressure (B. P.) shows a temporary depression by 10 mmHg or less after the postural change. The restitution of the B. P. generally occurs within 1 minute. In 4 cases among 50, however, restoration of the original B. P. was incomplete or took much longer. This is interpreted as a partial maladjustment of the autonomic nervous system. Since no other cause leading to such state was identified in the subjects, a constitutional state of automic maladjustment, congenital or not, was suspected.
3. The diastolic blood pressure remained virtually constant during and after the postural change. Hence the time course of the systolic pressure above descrided corresponds to that of the pulse pressure.
