RUBOR, CALOR, TUMOR, DOLOR. AND FLUOR.

According to this author, a fifth sign of inflammation should be added to the classic four (rubor, calor, tumor, and dolor). Fluor, Latin for "secretion," accompanies inflammation throughout the body, including the nose, lung, gut, and lacrimal gland. In a letter to The Lancet, Mitchinson observes that fluor is an important factor in the morbidity and mortality associated with asthma. He comments that increased secretion should be recognized as "a common and important general reaction to injury" and its mechanism should be investigated.