BOEIC ACID AND BOKAX. 173 



tive period to a quite notable extent, and this diminution continues in 

 the after period. 



In the case of No. 6 there is a slight increase in the volume of the 

 urine during the preservative period, and a decrease during the after 

 period. The total solids excreted remain quite constant throughout 

 all the periods. The quantity of salt excreted is diminished during 

 the preservative period, with a slight tendency during the after period 

 to return to the normal of the fore period. 



It is interesting to compare now the data of Nos. 1, 3, 4, and 5, the 

 only complete data for the whole series which are not burdened with 

 complications due to illness and other accidents which render their 

 comparative use inadvisable. 



Summarizing the data for these four subjects we find the following 

 results: 



The average daily quantity of urine during the fore period is 1,018 cc, 

 during the preservative period 1,064 cc, and during the after period 

 908 cc. These data show a very slight influence on the part of the pre- 

 servative to increase the volume of the urine. In regard to the specific 

 gravity, we find that of the fore period to be 1.0266, of the preservative 

 period 1.0251, and of the after period 1.0256. These data show a very 

 slight tendency on the part of the preservative to diminish the specific 

 gravity of the urine, partly due at least to its increased volume. In 

 regard to the quantity of total solids excreted, we note that in the fore 

 period it is 65.533 grams, during the.preservative period 62.990 grams, 

 and during the after period 54. 564 grams. There appears to be a marked 

 tendency here on the part of the preservative to diminish the total 

 quantity of solids excreted in the urine, and this tendency persists in 

 a noticeable degree during the after period. In regard to the amount 

 of common salt excreted, we find that it is 12.452 grams in the fore 

 period, 10.279 grams in the preservative period, and 7.957 grams in 

 the after period. We note here a tendency to decrease the excretion 

 of common salt during the administration of the preservative, and that 

 this tendency continues to a great extent during the after period. 



In general, it may be said from the results of these observations, so 

 far as the third series is concerned, that boric acid has but little, if 

 any, effect in increasing the volume of the urine. It has an effect, 

 apparently, toward decreasing the specific gravity of the urine. It 

 has a marked effect in decreasing the amount of solid matters excreted, 

 and also the amount of common salt, which forms a considerable part 

 of the total excretion of solid matter from the kidneys. We note also 

 that these depressing effects which have been mentioned persist to a 

 greater or less extent during the after period. 



Judged by these data as a whole, the conclusion seems logical that 

 the general tendency of the preservative is to diminish or impair those 

 metabolic processes which furnish the solid matters excreted in the 



