14 METABOLISM OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC JMlnsi'HORUS. 



nations of the action of ptyalin, pepsin, and trypsin have confirmed 

 Scofone's results. 



Experiments made with extracts of muscle and kidney did not 

 give results which pointed toward the presence of a phytase in these 

 tissues. 



Suzuki and Yoshimura* studied the distribution of anhydroxy- 

 methylene -phosphorus (phytin), and giva a method for extracting 

 the compound, which is a calcium or a magnesium salt. In the 

 juice of tubers and fruit more inorganic than organic phosphorus 

 is found. 



Suzuki, Yoshimura, and Takaishi* made an investigation of the 

 enzvm which decomposes anhydroxymethylene diphosphoric acid, 

 and state that when rice bran and water are allowed to stand the 

 organic compound will be decomposed and the amount of soluble 

 inorganic phosphoric acid increased. When boiled this action does 

 not take place. The same change takes place when barley and rape 

 seeds are used. No other enzym will do this. 



As opposed to the beneficial results of organic phosphorus Keller 

 got very favorable results from feeding normal milk plus inorganic 

 phosphates. 



Ivochniami d studied the changes in the inorganic constituents 

 in the tissues of rabbits poisoned by phosphorus, lie made iron, 

 calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium estima- 

 tions in the liver, heart, muscles, and bones and compared them with 

 similar estimations in normal animals. His conclusions are that a 

 definite effect was produced on phosphorus metabolism and that the 

 use of phosphorus in bone affections and as a stimulant is well 

 founded. Calcium, potassium, and sodium replace one another. 

 The magnesium metabolism is also affected in the cases of phosphorus 

 poisoning, and the excretion of phosphorus and calcium run parallel. 



More recent work by Hart and McCollum c on feeding inorganic 

 phosphates to growing pigs has been conducted for two years. 

 According to the abstract published by the authors, the results clearly 

 indicate that inorganic phosphates, such as bone ash, finely ground 

 rock phosphate, or precipitated calcium phosphate (a mixture of 

 di- and tri-calcium phosphates) can be used by^ these animals in 

 connection with rations containing insufficient phosphorus. Young 

 animals of 40 pounds weight, receiving inorganic phosphates, 

 together with other salts as supplementary to a ration very low in 

 mineral constituents, grew to be animals of 280 pounds weight, 



Al.<.. Chem. Centrbl., 1907, 78 : 1636. 

 b Ibid., 1637. 



c Abs., Zts. diat. .physik. Therapie, 1901, -5 : 147. 

 * Arch, gesam. Physiol., 1907, 119 : 417. 

 Abs., Science, 1908, 28 : 217. 



