82 "Retrograde Circulation of Calcium 



)} 



Comparative determinations of the volatile fatty acids in 24 

 hour urines, from both kinds of individuals, reveal similar varia- 

 tions. The volatile fatty acids were quantitatively estimated, in this 

 case, by the Strauss and Philippsohn method (16), and expressed in 

 cc. of decinormal sol. of sodium hydroxid. 



Normal individnals Calcariuric patients 



Name cc. cc. 



F. W 58.0 



L. C 49.2 



B. de T 28.1 



A. C 21.3 



In a case of severe diabetes, which was studied extensively in 

 these directions, the proportions of soluble calcium and volatile fatty 

 acids in the feces and urine were very striking, and suggested pas- 

 sage of large proportions of both substances from the feces to the 

 urine, as in the case of many other urinary substances of fecal origin. 

 The following data, obtained in this interesting case, show an in- 

 verted relation between the fecal and the urinary calcium. 



Urine : Volume, in 24 hours, 12,950 cc. 



Volatile fatty acids (h/ig NaOH sol.), 838.5 cc. 



Calcium, as CaO, 2.226 gm. 



Feces : Soft evacuation, obtained with a drastic, 1239.0 gm. 



Soluble calcium, as CaO, 1-073 giri- 



Total calcium, as CaO, 1.121 gm. 



Soluble lime : percent of total Ca, 95.7 percent 



Volatile fatty acids ("/lo NaOH sol.), 1593-0 cc 



These experimental premises being established, it is entirely 

 rational to believe that the volatile fatty acids arising during the 

 Stagnation and putrefaction of fecal matter, may produce soluble 

 calcium salts by attacking the carbonates and phosphates of calcium 

 that occur abundantly in every feces. By reabsorption ("retro- 

 grade circulation "), such soluble calcium salts pass directly into the 

 blood, where, unlike the alkali salts of the same acids, they are not 

 destroyed by oxidation, but finally appear in the urine. The forma- 

 tion of such soluble calcium salts in the feces may be easily imag- 

 ined to occur, considering the nature of the putrefactive and fer- 

 mentative processes in the large intestine. As a matter of fact, the 

 addition to feces of a few drops of volatile fatty acid increases 



