Evelyn Anderson 41 



potassium in the salt-treated animals with those not so iicated, all ;iiiimals 

 were given 30 cc. Locke's solution containing 6.0 per cent glucose daily ior 

 24 hours before the urinary collections were made and during the two-day 

 collection period. The Locke's solution was administered by stomach tube, 

 in amounts of 10 cc. three times a day. In table 1 it will be noted that eight days 

 after adrenalectomy the rats which received tap water excreted a greater per- 

 centage of radioactive sodium in 48 hours (60 per cent) than the normal ani- 

 mals (44 per cent); the adrenalectomized rats maintained on 1.0 per cent 

 sodium chloride from the time of operation excreted the same amount of 

 radioactive sodium as the normal rats (45 per cent). Corresponding differences 

 in the excretion of regular sodium were found in the three groups. The adre- 

 nalectomized animals that survived for several months on 1.0 per cent sodium 

 chloride showed a diminishing amount of radioactive sodium excreted per 

 48 hours. In table 2 it is shown that the excretion of radioactive potassium 

 by the salt-treated adrenalectomized rats was the same as that of the normal 

 animals and it remained normal throughout the four months in which excre- 

 tion studies were done. Thus the alteration in the excretion of sodium and po- 

 tassiimr after adrenalectomy is remedied by the giving of sodium chloride. 

 If the benefit from the salt were nothing more than a replacement of lost 

 sodium chloride, the total quantity of sodium excreted should, if anything, 

 be increased. A recent report by Kottke, Code and Wood'" on urine dilution 

 and concentration tests in adrenalectomized dogs would seem to confirm these 

 findings. They found that the kidney of the adrenalectomized animal main- 

 tained in good condition on a high-sodium, low-potassium diet, when sub- 

 jected to a dilution test, was able to elaborate as dilute, or nearly dilute, a 

 urine as that of an intact animal; however, the concentrating abiliiv of the 

 kidnev of such an animal was less than that of the normal dog. 



4. Intestinal Absorption of Sodium, Chloride, and Potassium 



The rate of absorption of sodium, chloride, and potassium from the intestinal 

 tract is altered after adrenalectomy. Clark"" showed that adrenalectomized rats 

 kept in a healthy condition by salt therapy absorb sodium chloride more 

 slowly than their controls. Moreover, Dennis and Wood" found in adrenal- 

 ectomized dogs maintained on a diet high in sodium chloride and sodiiun 

 bicarbonate and low in potassium a very marked decrease in the rate of ab- 

 sorption of sodium, potassium, and chloride from chronic loops of ileum. The 

 rate of absorption of sodium declined more than that of potassium and often 

 there was an actual reversal in the direction of the net movement of sodiiun. 

 the sodium being excreted into the gut in relatively large amounts although 

 potassium was still being absorbed. These authors suggest that liie finida- 

 mental defect in metabolism resulting from removal of the adrenals may be 

 a decreased ability to perform osmotic work. Stein and Wertheimer" have 

 confirmed these observations in the rat. These observations may possibly 

 throw light on the finding of Anderson, Joseph and Herring^' that adi inalcc- 



