FOODS HUMAN NUTRITION. 259 



Invest if/at ions o/; tliv effects of sodium hoizoate on the health and general 

 metal>olism of man, J. II. Long (pi). 2!);i-r)G3). — Six men students in normal 

 health were the suhjects of these investigations in which sodium benzoate was 

 taken in exi)erimental periods. In the first of GO days" duration the daily dose 

 was 0.3 gm. per person ; in the second of 14 days' duration the daily dose was 

 0.6 gm. ; and in the third iieriod of 18 days' duration it was 1 gm. The diet 

 throughout the whole test was ample, the men following their own tastes and 

 desires in so far as possible. The amount of food consumed and the nitrogen 

 and ether extract content were recorded together with the calculated fuel value 

 in certain cases. Detailed studies were made of the urine and feces. 



In his summary of the results obtained the author states that in the chemical 

 studies of the urine and feces it was not found that there was any change in 

 the normal metabolism attributable to the action of benzoate of soda. "There 

 was no alteration in the distribution of the nitrogen of the urinary constituents, 

 and no decrease in the utilization of the protein or fat of the food." So far as 

 could be judged by the various special tests made, there were no alterations in 

 the qualitative composition of the urine. 



" In the bacteriological and other tests carried out in the feces, which were 

 extended to a considerable length, no essential change from the beginning of 

 the fore period to the end of the high preservative period was discovered. There 

 were fluctuations, but they were not systematic, and varied with the individuals 

 rather than with the dosage. It is fair to conclude that the action of the ben- 

 zoate, in the amounts used, on the intestinal activities or on the characteristic 

 flora must be, at most, exti'emely slight. 



"The pi'olonged clinical observations are intended to show clearly the 

 actual conditions of the men from day to day. . . . [The author considers 

 them] of equal importance with the chemical tests made, for the purpose of this 

 inquiry. But one conclusion may be drawn fi-om them, and that is that the 

 health of the men has suffered no impairment through the use of the benzoate 

 in the period of the observation. . . . [The author believes], further, that the 

 period is long enough to show change were it likely to occur. 



'• In conclusion it nuist be said, then, that the experience in our laboratory 

 justifies the statement that the modern addition of sodium benzoate to our 

 food, up to at least 1 gm. daily, does not give rise to any abnormal conditions in 

 the subject, or lead to any changes in metabolism which may be detected with 

 the means at our command. 



" It follows, further, from the same observations, that such addition of ben- 

 zoate to the food does not lower its value by robbing it of any element, by dimin- 

 ishing its digestibility, or by introducing a factor which modifies in any dis- 

 coverable way the normal metabolism. The quality or strength of the food is 

 not lowered or injuriously affected through the presence of the preservative, 

 and this is true for large quantities as well as for small, since the amounts of 

 preservative used in our experiments must all be considered large from the 

 standpoint of actual use." 



The action of sodium henzoatc on the human body, C. A. Hcrtcr (pp. 505- 

 7G1). — The investigations which were made with 4 subjects included a fore 

 period, a low benzoate period, a high benzoate period, and an after period, in 

 which the author studied particularly the physiological body processes. During 

 the low benzoate period the daily dose of sodium benzoate was 0.3 gm. During 

 the h\g\\ benzoate period it ranged from O.G gm. to G gm. per person per day. 



The discussions include general medical notes, analytical data regarding the 

 urine and feces, fats and fat balance, the results of general and special urinary 

 examinations, and of chemical and bacteriological examinations of the feces, 

 clinical data, and similar topics. 



