234 Freeman, Pincus, Elmadjian and Romanoff 



the two groups is similar to that found in younger subjects 

 (Pincus et al., 1949), but it may be, in part, due to the 

 difference in the initial levels. There is a negative relationship 

 (r= —0-46) between the basal values and the absolute 

 changes at three hours, so that the higher values of the 

 patients tend to sho\v the greatest decreases. 



The potassium/creatinine values (Table VI) again show the 

 normal subjects to have somewhat higher values than the 

 patients, although the difference is not statistically significant. 

 During the three-hour period the normal subjects show a 

 slight decline in excretion values, while in the patients the 

 decrease is quite marked to a value approximately 40 per cent 

 below the inital level. This difference in trends is significantly 

 different between the two groups. 



The initial levels have some influence in the degree of 

 response at three hours. There is a negative relationship 

 (r= — 0-40) between the control levels and the absolute 

 change at the three-hour reading. On this basis the normal 

 subjects with initial higher values would be expected to show 

 the greater decrease. That they do not, emphasizes the real 

 nature of the difference in trends between the two groups. 



The values for the phosphate/creatinine ratios (Table VI) 

 show the characteristically low initial levels of the schizo- 

 phrenic pateints. After the ingestion of glucose, in the normal 

 subjects there is a mild rise at the one-hour reading, with a 

 subsequent fall below the initial level at the three-hour reading. 

 In the patients there is a marked increase at the one-hour 

 reading to the level of the normal subjects and then a marked 

 fall almost back to the original level. The trends at both one 

 and three hours as compared with the initial levels are 

 statistically significantly different between the two groups 

 of subjects. 



It would seem, then, that in the normal subjects the 

 ingestion of glucose produces a conservation of phosphate in 

 the body, so that less is excreted. In the patients, on the other 

 hand, more phosphate is excreted. Here the difference in 

 initial levels between the two groups of subjects may play a 



