12 



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 perform 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 formaldehyde may exert 

 a selective action for those proteid bodies high in phosphorus, render- 

 ing them insoluble, but in this case there would be an excess of phos- 

 phorus in the feces, which is not found. Or the formaldehyde may 

 induce a change in the process of digestion whereby the phosphorus 

 of the food is changed into a soluble and easily excreted form without 

 passing through the tissues of the body. This might easily be the 

 case if in the process of digestion the glycerol-phosphoric acid formed 

 is transformed into soluble inorganic salts, which are readily excreted. 

 Whatever may be the explanation, the changes indicated in normal 

 metabolism, accompanied as they are by the development of the 

 symptoms described, can only be considered as prejudicial to health. 



The general tendency to produce a slight decrease in the tempera- 

 ture of the body, assuming for the moment that the data warrant the 

 conclusions that such a condition of affairs existed, might well be due 

 to the inhibition of cell activity shown by the retardation in the break- 

 ing down of tissues. The normal functions of the body would doubt- 

 less 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. 



The final conclusion, therefore, is that the addition of formaldehyde 

 to foods tends to derange metabolism, disturb the normal functions, 

 and produce irritation and undue stimulation of the secretory activi- 

 ties, and therefore it is never justifiable. 



[Cir. 42] 



