SULPHUROUS ACID AND SULPHITES. 913 



PHOSPHORIC ACID BALANCE. 

 INDIVIDUAL DATA. 



The quantity of phosphoric acid consumed by No. 1 is slightly less 

 in the preservative period than in the fore period, and the quantity 

 in the after period is also smaller than in the fore period but larger 

 than in the preservative period. The quantity excreted in the feces 

 is markedly less in the preservative period, but the decrease is no 

 greater than could be accounted for by the decrease in the amount in 

 the food. This deficit also persists in the after period and to even a 

 greater extent. The quantity excreted in the urine is also diminished 

 to a greater extent than it should have been considering the amounts 

 in the food, but is increased slightly in the after period. Expressed in 

 percentages, it is seen that while 32.84 per cent of the phosphoric 

 acid in the food is excreted in the feces in the fore period, only 29.72 

 per cent is excreted in the preservative period and 24.67 per cent in 

 the after period. A like decrease in percentages occurs in the amount 

 excreted in the urine, but not to such an extent. Expressed as total 

 excretion, it is seen that 97.22 per cent of the phosphoric acid in the 

 food is excreted in the fore period, 91.00 per cent in the preservative 

 period, and 83.98 per cent in the after period. The balances there- 

 fore increase in proportion as the percentage of the ingested phos- 

 phoric acid excreted diminishes. In the fore period the balance is 

 positive, being 0.114 gram, rising to 0.341 gram in the preservative 

 period and 0.637 gram in the after period. There is an apparent tend- 

 ency indicated here to diminish the quantity of phosphoric acid 

 excreted, both in a metabolized and nonmetabolized form. In this 

 connection, however, it should not be forgotten that during the first 

 subperiod there was an abnormal excretion of phosphoric acid, the 

 elimination of which would not make the difference so great. 



In the case of No. 2 the data for the preservative period are not 

 complete, but indicate an increase in the total quantity of phosphoric 

 acid excreted, due to an increase in the feces. In this case, however, 

 there is another abnormal period, namely, the second preservative 

 subperiod, in which a very large excess of phosphoric acid is excreted. 

 In all cases the balances are positive, amounting to 0.140 gram in the 

 fore period, 0.076 gram in the preservative period, and 0.457 gram 

 in the after period. 



The case of No. 3 shows #n extreme condition of disturbance of the 

 balance during the preservative period. There is a very low excre- 

 tion of phosphoric acid both in the fore period and the after period, the 

 balance in the fore period being 0.727 daily and in the after period 

 0.997 gram. During the preservative period there was a uniform 

 abnormally high excretion of phosphoric acid in the feces, so that the 

 balance became a negative quantity, amounting to 0.224 gram. 



