( 376 ) 



labour in itself, the material wliicli the muscles want for contraction 

 is taken from the proteids of ihe tissue; for this the tissues are forced 

 to more vigorous life, of which an increased formation of creatin is 

 the result. 



Quite in accordance with the investigations and arguments of 

 FoLiN, V. HooGENHUYZE and Verploegh also found that though the 

 excretion of urea increases and decreases with the resorption of pro- 

 teids, the excretion of creatinin is not directly dependent on it. There 

 is dependence in so far that Avith total privation of food, the activity 

 of the organs becomes as small as possible and that then with the 

 intensity of the symptoms of life the secretion of creatinin becomes 

 extraordinarily small. In connection with this a statement made on 

 the last day of the hunger-period of Tosca is worth mentioning. 

 June the 25'^i' she took milk and eggs in the evening after ten o'clock. 

 The ui'ine wiiich was collected the following morning at 10 'clock 

 contained 0.375 gr. creatinin, more than double the quantity which 

 was excreted by her in the last days in that same period. This 

 sudden increase can certaiidy not be put to the account of the food 

 as such, as is shown by the very slight increase of the excretion of 

 nitrogen in the same period, but must be attributed to the stimulation 

 which the whole organism suffered by the putting into action of 

 the digestive organs after such a long rest. 



Noel Paton investigated a short time ago with the aid of 

 Folin's method the excretion of creatinin of a dog which was fed 

 with oatmeal and milk and moreover on one day with 5 eggs and 

 which got no food at all on other days ^). According to the author 

 the results seem to indicate that in the dog there is a relationship 

 between the production of creatinin and the intake of nitrogen. 



The secretion of creatinin shows a somewhat too large irregularity 

 in the communicated series to admit the making of conclusions. 

 But if the impression of the author is right, there may be thought 

 here also of a stimulating effect of the food on the whole organism. 



Just as FoLiN, VAN HooGENHUYzE and Verploegh have observed 

 not unimportant individual varieties in the excretion of creatinin 

 with mixed food. Without doubt the quantity of meat which one 

 is used to take, influences it. But with persons living pretty well 

 under the same circumstances the difference seems to be less great 

 when the weight of the body is considered. In 5 students a secre- 

 tion of 26, 26.9, 27.4, 29,4 and 31,5 mgr. creatinin pro bodily 

 weight of one Kgr. was found in 24 hours. 



1) Journal of Physiol. Vol. XXXIII, p. 1. 



