Adrenal Activity in Aged Sctiizopitrenics 227 



The phosphate/creatiniiie Aahies (Table III) show that the 

 normal subjeets exerete tw iee as much inor<;»anic phosj^hates 

 on a creatinine l^isis as do ])atients, a statistieally sionifi- 

 eant difference. After ACTII the normal subjects show no 

 increase but rather a mild decrease; the patients show a 

 striking increase. This difference in trends is statistically 

 significant. 



The lesser excretion of phosphates, in the basal state, in 

 schizophrenic patients is a consistent phenomenon through- 

 out the various age decades (Hoagland et al., 1953). 



The excessive phosphate excretion of the patients after the 

 injection of iVCTH has also been noted in the younger groups 

 (Hoagland et aL, 1953). To what extent this is a feature 

 inherent in the schizophrenic psychosis is, however, a question. 

 Like the 17-ketosteroids and the cortins, there is a negative 

 relationship between the initial levels and the amount of 

 change after ACTH, the correlation coefficient being —0-64. 

 For phosphate values alone, r= —0-55. Since the normal 

 subjects have the high initial levels they show little effect 

 from ACTH, while the schizophrenic patients with low control 

 values show increases. The greater reactivity of the patients 

 to ACTH may thus be just a reflection of their initial levels. 



In normal men, there has been noted in all the urinary 

 metabolites a decrease in excretion values with advancing age 

 (Pincus, 1950; Kirk, 1949; Hamilton and Hamilton, 1948; 

 Kowalewski, 1949). A point of interest is whether ageing 

 affects schizophrenic patients in this regard as much as normal 

 individuals. In Table IV we have shown the mean values for 

 the various constituents in young and old normal and schizo- 

 phrenic groups. 



In order to minimize the intra-individual variation the 

 control values for several tests have been grouped for each 

 subject and an individual mean taken. 



The results of the change from the young to the old group 

 are expressed on a percentage basis in the last line. 



Several points are of interest. The creatinine and phosphate 

 values are lower in the patients consistently. The sodium and 



