ACTION OF SALTS AND ALCOHOL. 863 



salt which do not produce diuresis have no action on metabolism. On 

 the contrary, larger amounts, which bring about a diuresis, which is 

 not compensated by the ingestion of water, produce a rise in the 

 protein metabolism. If the diuresis is compensated by drinking water, 

 then the protein metabolism is not increased by salts, but is diminished 

 to a slight degree. An increased nitrogen excretion caused by taking 

 salts can be increased by the ingestion of water, thus increasing the 

 diuresis, and the action of salts seems to bear a close relation to the 

 demand and supply of water. 



Alcohol. The question as to how far the alcohol absorbed in the 

 intestinal canal is burnt in the body, or whether it leaves the body unchanged 

 by various channels, has been the subject of much discussion. To 

 all appearances the greatest part of the alcohol introduced (95 per cent 

 or more) is burnt in the body (STUBBOTIN, THUDICHUM, BODLANDER, 

 BENEDICENTI J ). As the alcohol has a high calorific value (1 gram = 7 

 calories), then the question arises whether it acts sparingly on other 

 bodies, and whether it is to be considered as a nutritive substance. The 

 earlier investigations made to decide these questions have led to no 

 decisive result. The thorough investigations of ATWATER and BENEDICT, 

 ZTJNTZ and GEPPERT, BJERRE, CLOPATT, NEUMANN, OFFER, RosEMANN, 2 and 

 others, seem to show positively that, in man, alcohol can diminish the con- 

 sumption not only of fat and carbohydrates, but also the proteins, although 

 at first, due to its poisonous properties, it may increase the protein 

 metabolism for a short time. The nutritive value of alcohol can 

 be of special importance in certain cases only, as large amounts of alcohol 

 taken at one time, or the continued use of smaller quantities, has an injur- 

 rious action on the organism. Alcohol may therefore be regarded as a 

 foodstuff only in exceptional cases, and in other respects must be con- 

 sidered as an article of luxury. 



Coffee and tea have no action on the exchange of material which can 

 be positively proven, and their importance lies chiefly in their action 

 upon the nervous system. It is impossible to enter into the effect of 

 various therapeutic agents upon metabolism. 



1 Arch, f . (Anat. u.) Physiol., 1896, which contains the literature. 



2 In regard to the literature on this subject, see the works of O. Neumann, Arch. f. 

 Hygiene, 36 and 41, and Rosemann, Pfliiger's Arch., 86 and 94. A summary of the 

 entire literature upon alcohol can be found in Abderhalden, " Bibliographic der ge- 

 samten wissenschaftlichen Literature iiber den Alcohol und den Alcoholismus," Berlin 

 and Wien, 1904. See also Rosemann in Oppenheirner's Handb. d. Bioch., Bd., 4. 1. 



