828 INFLUENCE OF FOOD PRESERVATIVES ON HEALTH. 



In the case of No. 1 the ratio of the phosphoric acid in the preserva- 

 tive period remains unchanged, while it is slightly increased in the 

 after period. In the case of No. 2 there is no change whatever in the 

 ratio of the phosphoric acid to the percentage of nitrogen in the food 

 excreted in the urine. In the case of No. 3 the ratio is slightly 

 increased, and this increase is maintained in the after period. In the 

 case of No. 4 the nitrogen is diminished in the preservative period, 

 and this loss is partly regained in the after period. In the case of 

 No. 5 the ratio is considerably increased in the preservative period, 

 and decreases in the after period almost to the initial point. In the 

 case of No. 6 the ratio of the phosphoric acid is again increased, and 

 this increase is maintained in the after period. In the case of No. 7 

 the ratio in the preservative period is slightly increased. In the case 

 of No. 8 the ratio is slightly increased in the preservative period and 

 again" in the after period. In the case of No. 9 the ratio remains 

 unchanged throughout the three periods. In the case of No. 10 

 there is a slight increase in the preservative period, and this is main- 

 tained in the after period. The same remark is true of No. 11. In 

 the case of No. 12 there is a slight diminution in the preservative 

 period, and this diminution is maintained in the after period. 



Summarizing the data for Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, and Nos. 8 to 11, 

 inclusive, we find in the first instance that the ratio of the percentage 

 of phosphoric acid ingested that is excreted in the urine to the per- 

 centage of nitrogen excreted in the urine is 1 : 1.46 in the fore period, 

 1: 1.55 in the preservative period, and 1: 1.53 in the after period. 

 These figures indicate a tendency on the part of the preservative 

 administered in the form of sulphite to diminish the relative excretion 

 of phosphoric acid, as-compared with that of nitrogen. This tendency 

 is also noticed in the after period, but to a less extent. In the second 

 summary for Nos. 8 to 11, inclusive, having received sulphurous 

 acid in a free state, it is noticed that the ratio in the fore period is 

 1: 1.49, in the preservative period 1: 1.53, and in the after period 

 1: 1.58. In this series, as in the first one, there appears to be a 

 tendency on th'e part of the preservative to diminish the quantity of 

 phosphoric acid excreted in proportion to the quantity of nitrogen 

 excreted, and this tendency is even more marked in the after period. 



The average results expressed in this manner are concordant for 

 both summaries, showing a slight tendency to diminish the relative 

 excretion of phosphoric acid, with the one exception that the results 

 as given in Table VII show a slight tendency on the part of free 

 sulphurous acid to increase the relative excretion of phosphoric acid. 



Taken as a whole, and considering the slight variations of the 

 ratio from the normal, it is evident that the preservative does not 

 exert any great influence in changing the relative amounts of phos- 

 phoric acid and nitrogen excreted. 



