The magnitude of the problem of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, most notably emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is widely known. In the past 15 years, morbidity and mortality for these diseases has doubled every five years. They are second only to heart disease as causes of disability under the Social Security system.  At present, the ratio of emphysema men to women is 10 to 1, and men tend to develop a more severe form of the disease. In a study designed to document the course and prognosis of patients under conservative and individual management, data were gathered from a group of 200 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.