726 HENRY G. BARBOUR 



Corley maintains that the total metabolism is much depressed in 

 oxalate poisoning and that there is a lowering of the respiratory quotient. 

 Wichern has described anuria followed by polyuria. Asphyxia, pyrexia 

 and glycosuria may also occur. 



Tartrates. Intravenous injection of tartrates (Rochelle salts), in 

 rabbits inhibits markedly the excretion of urea, but chlorid excretion 

 remains unaltered. Underbill, Wells and Goldschmidt showed that this 

 is due to a specific effect upon the renal tubules. 



To be similarly accounted for is the fact that tartrates diminish the 

 intensity of various glycosurias, e. g., phlorhizin (Baer and Blum), 

 epinephrin and dextrose glycosurias (Starkenstein). 



Benzoates. These are of importance in view of their use for the 

 preservation of food. Chittenden, Long and Herter in an exhaustive 

 study could demonstrate no effects upon healthy individuals if the in- 

 gestion of one-half gram per day was continued for weeks. Even four- 

 gram doses were rarely injurious. The body weight did not diminish, 

 the digestion and utilization of fat and protein as well as the nitrogen- 

 balance and partition and the quantitative composition of the urine all 

 remained normal. 



In man benzoic acid ingested in doses up to ten grams per day is 

 excreted almost quantitatively as hippuric acid (Dakin). 



Large doses of benzoates (eight grams per day in man) increase the 

 urinary urates at the expense of the blood (Denis (d)). During the period 

 of maximum hippurate excretion, however, Lewis and Carr observed a 

 marked decrease in uric acid excretion. This was seen after seven to 

 eight grams of benzoate, but could not be produced by the direct adminis- 

 tration of hippuric acid. 



Creatinin metabolism is not affected by benzoates. 



Acetates and Citrates. Acetates and citrates are converted into 

 bicarbonates in the tissues, then acting as alkaline diuretics. (See Chap- 

 ter III.) 



II. The Alkaline Earths 



Calcium, Magnesium, etc. 



Mineral Metabolism. That calcium administration in man may in- 

 crease the calcium store of the tissues and blood was shown by Voor- 

 hoeve(c). Heubner and Rona state that intravenous injections of calcium 

 salts in cats will double or triple the calcium content of the blood ; this, how- 

 ever, returns to normal within two hours. 



Givens(a) (&) has shown that calcium lactate in man increases the 

 calcium excretion in the urine, but not to the same extent as milk does. On 

 the other hand, magnesium citrate does not, increase the magnesium excre- 



tion. 



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