the average relative occurrence rising from 68.3 per cent in the fore 

 period to 78.3 per cent in the preservative period, and showing still 

 an additional rise to 79.4 per cent in the after period. Inasmuch as 

 most of the microscopic bodies are considered to be more or less asso- 

 ciated with the katabolic products of the body, their increase tends 

 to confirm the supposition already entertained, namely, that the 

 salicylic acid has a greater influence upon the destruction of the 

 tissues of the body than it has upon their restoration. To this extent 

 the increased appearance of microscopic bodies is to be regarded as 

 an unfavorable indication. 



EXCRETION OF THE SALICYLIC ACID. 



As in most of the cases where an additional and extraneous sub- 

 stance is added to a food product, the kidneys are called upon to bear 

 the principal effort of excretion. In the case of salicylic acid a large 

 part of it is excreted unchanged in the urine. Other portions undergo 

 changes of a more or less definite nature, and these changed products 

 are also excreted to a large extent by the kidneys, and thus the bur- 

 den of their work is increased. It is evident, therefore, that the exhi- 

 bition of the salicylic acid tends to increase the burden which is 

 placed upon the. kidneys as the principal excretory organ of the body. 

 Every increase of a burden of this kind must tend to shorten the 

 period of activity of this organ and thus produce a deleterious effect. 

 This is shown therefore to be the case in this instance, and for this 

 reason it may be fairly supposed that salicylic acid is a deleterious 

 substance, in that it increases the amount of work demanded of the 

 kidneys. 



THE EXCRETION OF NITROGEN. 



The data collected in the experiment on twelve men show that the 

 general effect of the salicylic acid is to increase slightly the quantity 

 of metabolized nitrogen excreted by the kidneys, while the quantity 

 of nonmetabolized nitrogen excreted in the feces is slightly decreased, 

 resulting in a small decrease in the total percentage of nitrogen elimi- 

 nated. The balance is somewhat greater in the preservative period, 

 altho the amount of nitrogen ingested is slightly decreased. In the 

 special study made of four men, two cases showed an increased excre- 

 tion of metabolized nitrogen and two a decrease in the preservative 

 period, indicating an inhibiting effect by the general average. These 

 data as a whole indicate that the preservative tended to increase 

 slightly the digestibility and absorption of the nitrogen ingested. 



THE EXCRETION OF PHOSPHORIC ACID. 



While in the case of nitrogen the general tendency of the salicylic 

 acid is to increase the quantity of metabolized nitrogen excreted, 

 just the contrary effect is shown in respect of the phosphoric acid. 



