12 



connection that the tendency to increase the red corpuscles shown by 

 the benzoate of soda may have been due to the increased alkalinity 

 of the blood, induced by the soda, rather than to any specific action 

 of the compound as a whole. 



NITROGEN METABOLISM. 



The percentage data show an increase in the nitrogen excreted 

 both in the urine and in the feces during the preservative period, 

 and there is a decrease in the after period in each case, with the 

 exception of the nitrogen in the feces for those members who re- 

 ceived benzoate of soda. While the average data do not show any 

 marked disturbance of the nitrogen metabolism there is a uniform 

 tendency to decrease the nitrogen balance, although the amounts in- 

 gested were slightly increased. The average data for the eleven men 

 show an increase of 2 per cent in the preservative period of the 

 amount of ingested nitrogen excreted in metabolized form, indicating 

 a tendency to increase to this extent the katabolic activities, while 

 the increase in the feces points to a decrease in nitrogen assimilation. 



PHOSPHORIC-ACID METABOLISM. 



The summarized data in this case indicate a tendency on the part 

 of the preservative in both forms to increase the percentage of phos- 

 phoric acid excreted in the feces, the increase being much more 

 marked in the case of those receiving benzoic acid, the increase in the 

 case of those receiving benzoate of soda occurring chiefly in the after 

 period. There is but little change in the metabolized phosphoric 

 acid excreted in the case of those who received benzoic acid, the per- 

 centage data showing a slight decrease in the preservative period 

 and a very marked decrease in the after period. In the case of those 

 who received benzoate of soda there is an increased excretion of 

 phosphoric acid in the urine in the preservative period and a marked 

 decrease in the after period. These figures indicate, therefore, that 

 the benzoic acid, either in the form of the free acid or as benzoate 

 of soda, tends to increase the phosphoric acid in the feces, which 

 effect is continued to a marked degree in the after period. In other 

 words, a decrease in the assimilation of phosphoric acid is produced. 

 On the other hand, there is practically no tendency to increase kata- 

 bolism in this instance, the .slight increase in the excretion in the 

 urine in the case of those receiving sodium benzoate being followed 

 by a marked decrease in the after period to an amount less than in 

 the fore period. There appears to be a slight disturbance of the 

 normal metabolism of phosphoric acid. 



[Cir. 39] 



