212 



E. M. WiDDOWsoN AND R. A. McCance 



body weight as the adults. Their excretion of surplus anions, 

 sulphates among them, per kg., had reached the adult level 

 although they were still excreting Httle or no phosphate. 

 The pH of their urine was a little higher than it was on the 

 first two days, and the increased volume may have been one 

 reason for this (McCance and von Finck, 1947; Hungerland, 

 1957). 



At eight months to one year of age the babies excreted more 



m-mole/kg./24h. 

 1.6. 



14. 



I -2. 



o a" 



0-6- 



04- 



02' 



■ 



i 



■ 



i 



- ' I Adult 



O- 24-7- I 

 24h. 48h. 8 day year 



Fig. 1. Surplus anions (not combined 



with fixed base) excreted by babies 



during the first week and at 8 months 



to 1 year of hfe. 



surplus anions per kg. of body weight than the adults. This is 

 explainable by the high intake and metabohsm of protein per 

 kg. of body weight at this time of life. A child of one year 

 consumes about 3-5 g. protein per kg., which is two to three 

 times as much as an adult per kg., and only 8 or 10 per cent of it 

 is used for growth in contrast to the 50 per cent or so retained 

 in the neonatal period. The phosphates and the cystine and 

 methionine in the milk and other protein foods were probably 

 the main sources of the surplus anions. 



