962 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



prououncod, but that no ill I'llVets nri" produced prior to lliiit time is not 

 probable. . . . 



"A fioiuM-al study of all of the data loads to the conclusion that the admixture 

 of formaldehyde with food is injurious to health, even in the case of healthy 

 younjr men. It is fair to conclude, therefore, that in the case of infants and 

 children the deleterious efl'ects would be more pronounced. The metabolic 

 functions are disturbed in a notable way, both by the retardation of the nitro- 

 gen and sulphur metabolism and the acceleration of i)hosphorus nietabolLsni. 

 There seems to be a tendency to an increased absorjition from the alimentary 

 canal, especially in the cases when the formaldehyde had stood in contact with 

 the milk, and hence it is fair to presume that in so far as the digestive action 

 in the intestinal canal is concerne<l, transforming solid food into soluble mate- 

 rals which may enter the circulation, there is evidently a stimulating effect 

 produced. 



" There are, however, many varying conditions which must be considered in 

 properly interi)reting the data. The uniformly increased absorption of the 

 I)roteid elements of the food, and also of the sulphur and phosi)horic acid, 

 accomi)anied in the first two instances by a decrease in the metabolized ele- 

 ments excreted, and in the last instance, namely, phosphoric acid, by a pro- 

 nounced increase in metabolism, makes the explanation of the data rather 

 ditlicult. . . . 



" The conditions which are noted in the case of the proteins would lead one 

 to expect a gain in the body weight. This expectation, however, is not realized 

 for either cla-ss of subjects, although the losses in weight are so slight as to be 

 practically negligible. . . . 



" The medical data indicate plainly that formaldehyde, even when given in 

 small quantities, is an irritating substance to the mucous membrane, and 

 therefore the normal organs are at first actively stimulated to rid themselves 

 of the irritating foreign substance. It is not strange, therefore, that this pre- 

 servative had a marked stinnilative action on those organs and cells secreting 

 the various digestive juices. It is evident that when the digestive and excretor.r 

 organs of the body are excited to unusual activity by such an extraneous body 

 having neither food nor condimental value, they act in self-defense, and it 

 would be wholly illogical to conclude from this increased excitation that these 

 bodies were helpful to digestion and conducive to health. The nature of the 

 investigation made it impossible to determine whether any organic change took 

 place in the various organs affected, but it may be assumed that any such 

 change which these organs had undergone in the limited time was not sufficient 

 to disturb in any notable way their normal functions, which they would per- 

 form until the continued administration of the drug produced disease due to the 

 excessive stimulation. 



" In the case of phosphoric acid, the increased katabolic activity is difficult of 

 definite interpretation, though it is established beyond doubt that such an 

 effect is produced. . . . 



"The general tendency to produce a slight decrease in the temperature of 

 the body, assuming for the moment that the data warrant th(? conclusions that 

 such a condition of affairs existed, might well be due to the inhibition of cell 

 activity shown by the retardation in the breaking down of tissues. The normal 

 functions of the body would doubtless be disturbed by such a condition, aside 

 from the irritating and other disturbing influences exerted by the ingested drug. 



" The tendency of the preservative to produce albumin in the urine, while 

 not well marked, is at least worthy of mention. The fact that only slight 

 changes take place in the body weight is sufficiently explained by the data and 

 can not be urged in favor of the exhibited preservative. 



