Phosphorus in Urine. 409 



The variations on the second day are from 1.189 to 3.134 grams, the average 

 for the 12 experiments being 2.089 grams. In general, there is a noticeable 

 increase in the phosphoric acid elimination on the second da}' of the fasts, the 

 only exceptions to this rule being in the case of experiments Nos. 73 and 85. 



In the 5 fasts which lasted 3 days or more, the phosphoric acid excretion on 

 the third day ranges from 1.06 to 2.492, averaging for all experiments 1.909 

 grams. Considering the experiments with S. A. B., there is an increase on the 

 third day over the second day in the first two and a decrease in the last two, the 

 average amount for the four experiments being practically the same on the 

 third as on the second day. 



In the experiments which lasted 4 days, the excretion on the fourth day 

 varied from 1.043 to 2.634 grams. With the subject A. L. L., the phosphoric 

 acid excretion practically reached a minimum, while with the subject S. A. B., 

 there is a definite increase over the third day in all cases. The excretion on 

 the fourth day of experiment No. 77 is not quite as large as on the second. 



The data secured with S. A. B., for the fifth, sixth, and seventh days of 

 fasting show that the phosphoric acid elimination remains practically constant 

 at a little over 2 grams, a distinct falling off from the average maximum 

 amount on the fourth day. 



From the summary of the data given above it is evident that to draw 

 conclusions concerning the relative phosphorus excretion during the successive 

 days of fasting is most difficult, for even with the same subject there is no 

 uniformity in the excretion. Thus, in considering the second, third, and 

 fourth days of experiments Nos. 71 and 77, we find there was excreted 1.326, 

 2.000, and 2.038 grams in experiment No. 71, while in experiment No. 77, 

 there was excreted during the same period 2.763, 2.492, and 2.634 grams. 



Compared with the earlier experiments the results here obtained show on 

 the whole a noticeably lower phosphorus elimination. The unusually low 

 results obtained in experiment No. 69 can possibly be partially explained by 

 the fact that in the feces of the 3 days with food (experiment No. 70) there 

 was an abnormally high ash and a large per cent of calcium soap, thus indicat- 

 ing a marked disturbance of the ash metabolism. The results do not clearly 

 show in just what manner the phosphorus metabolism was affected. Pending 

 the determinations of the calcium and magnesium in the urine samples for these 

 experiments, 87 but few definite conclusions can be drawn. 



Organic phosphorus in urine. The contention has been made by several 

 writers w that varying amounts of phosphorus in organic combination exist in 



87 It has thus far been impossible to complete these analyses as the determinations 

 were taken up only recently. The results and a discussion of the data will be 

 published later. 



^Oertel, Zeit. f. physiol. Chemie (1898), 26, p. 123; A. Keller, Zeit. f. physiol. 

 Chemie (1900), 29, p. 146; Bornstein, Archiv f. die ges. Physiol. (1904), 106, p. 66; 

 Symmers, Journ. Path. Bact. (1905), 10, pp. 159 and 427. 



