HKVIKW <>! LFFEBATUBE. 21 



phosphoric arid that potassium phosphate seems to he uiupiestioii- 

 al)ly the predominating salt. C'hlorin is found in such insignificant 

 <juantitie> that it is perhaps derived from a contamination with Mood 

 or lymph. The (piantity of magnesium is ahout douhle that of cal- 

 cium. The>e two hodies, as well as iron, occur only in very small 

 Amounts. 



Sherman" in making a determination of the amount of mineral 

 matter required hy the human hody, examined twenty Amerieau 

 dietario for ash and compared the amount of mineral matter contained 

 in them with the estimated maintenance 4 requirements as found in 

 metaholi.xm experiments. lie concludes that iron and protein run 

 parallel and that calcium and phosphoric acid vary; further that the 

 diets do not >upply a sullieieiit amount of either calcium or 

 phosphoric acid, and as much attention should he paid to the supply 



ilcium, pho>phoric acid, and iron *& t- protein. Milk and d. 

 mi^ht he suitituted for a part of the meat of the ordinary diet and 

 the use of fruitx and veirelahles >hould supply a part of the 813 

 Btarchj and minerals. Several other worker- ha\- viudied ash-free 



diets. 



CALCIUM COMPOUNDS. 



The metaholism of calcium has heeii extensively studied. There 

 are two form- of ralcium which enter into the composition of our food 

 and drink, the organic form in milk, e^.irs, plant seeds, etc., an<l the 

 inorganic f'-nn. whi<-h consists principally of ralcium carhonate, cal- 

 cium sulphate, and calcium pho>phate. Both forms are ahsorhahle, 

 the amount ahsorhed depending on the food taken simultaneously 

 AIIIOIIL: other factor- intlurnciiiL' tin- calcium al^orption may he men- 

 tioned sodium chlorid, which in.-: ,nd the alkali-, \\hich dimin- 



i-h. the amount ,.f calcium alorhed. A- noted hefore, there exists 

 a clo-e relatioii-hij) l)et\\eeii calcium and phosphoric aeid. 



.ordini: to Hun-.- and lertram r the euleium in plant food 

 is not so \\ell al>-oi!.>d a- that in animal food. Many foods lack 

 calcium, the daily need of which for the human hody is, in the 

 opinion of ( )herndorifer, ' !." grains, \shile Bun^e' claims douhle 

 that aiiHum. mi- per diem. The yoiin;: need milk rich in cal- 



cium. Hui lire >ays calcium forms 0.04 per cent of the hlood, while 

 Alhu and Neul)er.L: ; cite experimenis >ho\viug that calcium forms as 

 much as 0/J7 per cent of the hlood. In arterio sclerosis, Gazert^ 



o Lake Plari.l r.,1,-- coo. Proc., 1907,9 : 114. 



Al.~.,< h.-m.< . ntrbl.,1879, J0 : 



d Berlin, klin. W-H-h.-n-hr.. 1904,4^:1068. 



Biol., 1-7'.. i : : r.'l. 

 /Mineral Si.,n\v,--h-..l. 1',,-rlin, 1906. 



'ut*-h. An-h. klin. M-<1., 1S9S, t;..' :H90. 



