580 
(in spite of decrease in weight) 0.53 gram ni- 
trogen in the fore period, 0.389 gram in the ben- 
zoic acid period and 1.41 grams in the after 
period, and therefore apparently became poorer 
in fat and richer in albumin. And we learn 
further that Person 1 did not at all stand alone 
in this respect. In spite of decreases in weight 
and disturbances of metabolism of subjective 
nature, five of the twelve persons increased, 
seven decreased, in nitrogen; in the average of 
all twelve experiments there was even, in all 
the periods and sub-periods of the 40-day test, 
a daily increase of 1.2-1.5 grams of nitrogen. 
The nitrogen was used to the best advantage; 
on an average for all the test persons, 7.26 
per cent. was excreted in the feces in the fore 
period, 7.44 in the benzoic acid period and 8.16 
in the after period. The phosphoric acid meta- 
bolism was hardly influenced, but it is true, as 
Wiley brings out, that during the benzoic acid 
period the phosphoric acid increases a trifle 
(about 3 per cent.) in the feces and decreases 
by about the same amount in the urine; in the 
after period the increase in the feces and the 
decrease in the urine were somewhat more 
marked. Wiley draws no conclusions from 
this. This might be considered as a poorer 
utilization of the phosphorus of the food, but 
greater guarantee as to the amount and na- 
ture of combination of the phosphorus com- 
pounds given would be necessary. That the 
number of blood corpuscles would also show 
variations was clear. Their number was 
greatly raised, as compared with the fore 
period, after 2 administrations of benzoic 
acid; considerably decreased, as compared with 
the fore period, after 3 administrations; was 
about the same as in the fore period after 1 
administration; increased after 3 doses of 
sodium benzoate; decreased after 2 doses; not 
determined after 1 dose. 
The general average for all twelve persons 
was as follows: 
Hemo- 
globin 
Red White Per 
Corpuscles Corpuscles Cent. 
Fore period ...... 5,082,273 7,433 96 
Benzoic acid period 5,099,583 7,332 96 
After period ..... 5,255,000 6,644 97 
SCIENCE 
[N.S. Vou. XXXV. No. 902 
No conclusion, therefore, for or against 
benzoic acid can be drawn from these data, 
yet Wiley speaks of a “tendency” to dimin- 
ish the red corpuscles which benzoic acid 
seems to have! 
In my honest opinion, Wiley’s publication 
is lacking in every proof, every objective 
proof, of the harmfulness of benzoic acid, and 
from the voluminous metabolism investiga- 
tions which Wiley has so pitilessly used 
against benzoic acid exactly the opposite con- 
clusion may be drawn, that, at most, each and 
every entirely subordinate fact (1 have care- 
fully reproduced them all above from Wiley’s 
publication) remains somewhat doubtful in 
its significance. From Wiley’s report on sub- 
jective symptoms of digestive disturbances by 
1-2 gram quantities of benzoic acid in wafers, 
no conclusions can be drawn; even with this 
method of procedure, so ill-adapted to our prob- 
lem, the data stand too isolated in the litera- 
ture. They give the impression that sugges- 
tion played a considerable part in them, for 
there is no doubt that in Wiley’s laboratory 
preservatives are considered with extreme mis- 
trust and antipathy and that the test persons 
should imbibe some of this antipathy is 
easily conceivable. I surmise that this was 
also the general impression of the American 
authorities and that new investigations by 
Chittenden, Long and Herter were instituted 
to critically test Wiley’s results, which were 
contrary to all observations so far made in 
the laboratory and in practise. 
Although the volume of analyses and ob- 
servations reported by Wiley and their evi- 
dent cost are considerable, the extent of the 
work of the other investigators is surprising. 
This voluminousness of the work, especially 
the numberless tables, makes it difficult to 
enter very much into the details of it. 
Moreover, it is really a question of three inde- 
pendent pieces of work. The three gentle- 
men, entirely independently of each other but 
following a carefully preconcerted plan, each 
subjected 6, 6 and 4 young physicians and 
chemists, respectively, to metabolism investi- 
