SULPHUKOUS ACID AND SULPHITES. 1019 



acid. In Series VII the number of red corpuscles in a cubic milli- 

 meter of the blood is about one million less in three individual cases, 

 and a uniform decrease is recorded for all but two individuals. In 

 the special study, Series XIII, this effect is confirmed. During the 

 after period the loss in the number of red corpuscles is partially 

 restored and doubtless would have been completely restored had the 

 after period .been continued longer. The relative decrease of the 

 white corpuscles is even greater than that of the red corpuscles, but 

 is not marked by the same uniformity. This loss is also partially 

 restored during the after period. The data, therefore, are very strik- 

 ing in showing the tendency of the sulphurous acid to diminish the 

 number of both red and white corpuscles, and also to diminish the 

 percentage of hemoglobin. The relation between the decrease in 

 hemoglobin and red corpuscles, as expressed by the color index, shows 

 that the relative decrease of hemoglobin in the blood is not so great 

 as that of the red cells. 



NITROGEN METABOLISM. 



The general effect of the preservative upon the assimilation and 

 excretion of nitrogen, as shown by the balance sheets, is not strongly 

 marked. It is evident, however, that there is some disturbance of 

 nitrogen metabolism, especially in inhibiting the absorption of nitro- 

 gen in the intestines, inasmuch as both summaries agree in showing 

 an increase of nonmetabolized nitrogen during the preservative 

 period. There was a much more marked disturbance in the case of 

 the subjects receiving sodium sulphite, those receiving sulphurous 

 acid (representing a smaller ingestion of SO 2 ) showing but little vari- 

 ation from normal conditions. 



PHOSPHORIC-ACID METABOLISM. 



The summaries show that there is quite a marked tendency on the 

 part of the preservative to derange in a measurable degree the metab- 

 olism of phosphoric acid. Sulphur both as sulphite and as free 

 sulphurous acid tends to increase the quantity of phosphoric acid 

 excreted in the feces and to decrease the quantity excreted in the 

 urine. It may, therefore, be said to have a decidedly inhibiting effect 

 upon the phosphoric-acid metabolism. 



SULPHUR METABOLISM. 



The most important point brought 'out by an inspection of the 

 sulphur balance sheets is the increased elimination of sulphur over 

 that ingested as preservative. There is an increase in both the urine 

 and the feces, the increase in the urine during the preservative period 

 alone in the case of the subjects receiving sodium sulphite being 



