736 HENRY G. BARBOUR 



doses increased the carbon dioxid of the blood from 19.6-26 to 40-5 

 volumes per cent. 



Water Metabolism. Either acids or alkalies may act efficiently as 

 diuretics. However, if the blood volume of rabbits has already been 

 doubled by the intravenous injection of saline the addition of 0.4 per cent 

 sodium carbonate does not hasten its return to normal. (Bogert, Mendel 

 and Underbill) 



Alkalies enjoy considerable repute as obesity cures, Stadelman(fr) and 

 others having noted a marked reduction in weight during their prolonged 

 use. Much of this may be attributed to water loss. (Digestive disturb- 

 ances may, however, play a role.) 



Bicarbonate edema sometimes occurs during the treatment of diabetes 

 and other conditions with this alkali. Fitz associates it with a retention 

 of sodium chlorid. 



Body Temperature. The relations existing between the acid-base 

 equilibrium and the regulation of body temperature are not yet understood. 



Mineral Metabolism. A retention of intravenously injected chlorids 

 (as well as of lactose) was observed by Herz and Goldberg after the ad- 

 ministration of alkali. ' This was ascribed to renal action, and is con- 

 firmed by the observations of Fitz (a). On the other hand, Bunge and 

 others have consistently observed an increased chlorid excretion after alka- 

 lies. 



That acid administration per os increases the urinary calcium has 

 been noted by Secchi as well as Givens(a) (6), in animals on a calcium- 

 rich diet. Gi vens, however, found the calcium balance unaffected, and 

 noted no appreciable increase in the magnesium excretion, in which two 

 respects Secchi's work lacks confirmation. The latter found the sodium 

 and potassium output after hydrochloric acid augmented for but a brief 

 time, in contrast to the persistent ammonia excretion. 



Stehle(a) found an increased calcium and magnesium excretion in dogs 

 given hydrochloric acid by mouth. Sodium and potassium excretion were 

 augmented to a lesser extent. He suggests a connection between calcium 

 loss and diabetic acidosis. 



Sawyer, Baumann and Stevens studied the mineral loss in children 

 during acidosis and found both calcium and phosphates largely excreted. 

 The loss of these ions varied with the severity of the acidosis. 



Fitz, Alsberg and Henderson found that the administration of acids 

 first increases the excretion of phosphates, but later this becomes dimin- 

 ished owing to exhaustion of the supply. 



In experimental acute nephritis Goto(&) succeeded in diminishing the 

 chlorid retention by oral administration of bicarbonate. 



Total Metabolism. While the effects of acid or alkali upon the tot 

 oxidations are not marked, there is some evidence that the former ten< 

 to diminish and the latter to augment the respiratory exchange. Chvostek 



