846 INFLUENCE OF FOOD PRESERVATIVES ON HEALTH. 



is evident, therefore, after considering the preservative period alone, 

 that practically the entire amount of sulphur was eliminated in the 

 urine. The increase in the total sulphates, which is 321 milligrams 

 (as SO 3 , equivalent to 128 milligrams sulphur as S) accounts for the 

 greater amount of sulphur which is ingested in the preservative. In 

 addition to this there is an increase in the amount of neutral sulphur 

 of 36 milligrams (as S), which, if added to the increase in sulphates 

 during the preservative periods, amounts to 164 milligrams, 8 milli- 

 grams less than enough to account for the sulphur given in the form 

 of sulphurous acid. Taking into account the increase of sulphur in 

 the after period, it is again apparent that more sulphur has been elim- 

 inated than was ingested as preservative and in the food and that 

 the greater part (nearly 75 per cent) of the sulphur, which was given 

 in the form of sulphurous acid gas, is eliminated in a completely 

 oxidized form, namely, sulphates. One point of difference shown in 

 the comparison of these two summaries is a considerable increase in 

 the amount of ethereal sulphates eliminated in the preservative period 

 for Nos. 8 to 11. It may be well to mention in this connection the 

 opinion held by some authorities that the ethereal sulphates result 

 from free sulphurous acid formed in the intestines during digestion. 



The data, as a whole, show the same tendency throughout, namely, 

 the elimination of practically all of the sulphur in an oxidized form. 

 In the case of the subjects Nos. 1 to 6, who received the preservative 

 as sodium sulphite, there is a greater excretion of neutral sulphur 

 during the preservative period than in the cases of Nos. 8 to 11, who 

 received sulphurous acid, while in the after period the converse is 

 true. In the case of sodium sulphite more sulphur is eliminated 

 during the preservative period than is ingested in the preservative. 



In order to obtain the data in a more comprehensive form for 

 comparison, Table X is compiled from the sulphur balance sheets 

 (Table XVII), schedule of administration (Table II), and Table XI, 

 and shows the amount of increase or decrease of sulphur in the 

 food in the preservative and after periods over the fore period ; also 

 the amount of increase or decrease of sulphur in the feces, the average 

 amount of sulphur given in the preservative, and the increase of total 

 sulphur, of neutral sulphur, and of total sulphates in the urine. 



For ready comparison with the amount of preservative adminis- 

 tered the numerical values of the increase or decrease of the sulphur 

 compounds are expressed in terms of the element S in Table X, though 

 the data in Table XI are expressed as SO 3 and in the table of adminis- 

 tration in terms of SO 2 . This is done in order to compare more easily 

 the ingestion and excretion of the preservative, and the figures are 

 easily obtained from the other tables by taking one-half the value 

 expressed as SO 2 and two-fifths of the value when expressed as SO 3 . 



