Xew York Agricultural Experiment Station. 95 



Increase of organic phosphorus in the ration causes an increased 

 elimination of inorganic phosphorus, the quantity of outgoing organic 

 phosphorus being but shghtly affected by the intake of organic 

 phosphorus. 



Increased phosphorus eUmination is, in the herbivora, mostly by 

 way of the intestines. 



A large intake of phosphorus causes a retention of this element. 



When the phosphorus given is insufficient in quantity the organism 

 uses for its normal functions the phosphorus previously stored in 

 the body, or that which is not serving an immediately vital purpose. 



These results substantiate work done in other laboratories. 



The following results which were also noted suggest other possible 

 conclusions. These, if verified, would constitute new contributions 

 to our knowledge and are of fundamental interest: 



Sudden withdrawal of phosphorus from the ration causes dryer 

 and firmer feces, sometimes constipation. 



The volume of the urine varies directly with the quantity of 

 phosphorus insoluble in 0.2 per ct. hydrochloric acid, and indirectly 

 with the phosphorus soluble in this reagent. 



The milk flow increases with the withdrawal of phosphorus and 

 decreases when phosphorus is added to the ration. 



Increase of phosphorus in the ration increases the fat in the milk, 

 and vice versa. 



These results were pronounced and consistent and must therefore 

 be due to the differences produced in the wheat bran by leaching it 

 with water. By this process, several substances were removed from 

 the wheat bran; some protein, a small amount of carbohydrate, 

 magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. The loss in the protein 

 was made good by an equivalent amount in the form of wheat 

 gluten; that in carbohydrate was deemed negligible. The largest 

 differences were in the amounts of magnesium, potassium and 

 phosphorus. Of these variable factors in the experiment, the phos- 

 phorus, in the form of phytin, was thought to be the most significant ; 

 the magnesium and calcium are probably combined with the phos- 

 phorus in the phytin. Following this suggestive clue, the plans so 

 developed as to include other experiments in which the phosphorus 

 would be made more definitely the variable factor by adding some 

 salt or combination of salts of phytin to a basal ration of a very 

 low phosphorus content, and thus discover specifically what forms 

 of phosphorus, or combinations of bases with phosphorus, are respon- 

 sible for these striking physiological effects. Inasmuch as calcium 

 phytate can be bought in the market, and is also a single basic salt 

 and therefore presents a simpler problem than the double salts, 

 offering only two variable elements, it was chosen for the next experi- 

 ment, which is the subject of the present report. 



