Previous reports of renal function in cirrhosis (Table III) are conflicting. Leslie, Johnson, and Ralli (22) reported a depression of renal hemo-dynamics in cirrhosis. They observed higher rates of glomerular filtration and effective renal plasma flow in patients without ascites or during active diuresis than in the presence of actively re-accumulating ascites. Patek and associates (23), and more recently Goodyer, Relman, Lawrason, and Epstein (24) observed that mean glomerular filtration rates and effective renal plasma flows were within normal limits in this disease. Farns-worth and Krakusin (25) showed that the electrolyte excretion in patients with hepatic cirrhosis and ascites resembled that seen in cardiac failure. More recently, Goldman (26) observed a nocturnal diuresis of water and sodium in patients with con-gestive heart failure, glomerulonephritis, and cir-rhosis of the liver. The nocturia and increased nocturnal chloride excretion in patients with cir-rhosis reported by Smits (27) was attributed by Borst and de Vries (14) to semi-recumbent posi-tion at night.