Intestine and Kidney as Excretory Channels. 73 



42 (1417) 



The relative importance of the intestine and kidneys as excretory 



channels. 



By Victor C. Myers and Morris S. Fine. 



[From the Laboratory of Pathological Chemistry, New York Post- 

 Graduate Medical School and Hospital, New York City.] 



Despite the fact that during the past twenty years a number 

 of investigators have attempted to dispel the popular notion that 

 the intestine, in comparison with the kidney, is relatively unim- 

 portant as an excretory channel, this r&le of the intestine would 

 not appear to be properly appreciated. 



In connection with a study of metabolism in pellagra, 1 which 

 we made several years ago under the auspices of the Thompson 

 Pellagra Commission, fairly complete analyses of both the urine 

 and feces were carried out. Thirteen subjects were studied. 

 A lacto-vegetarian diet was employed, the experimental period 

 extending from seven to ten days. Data on the water, nitrogen, 

 sulfur, chlorine, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and potassium 

 outputs were obtained on both the urine and the stools, furnishing 

 an interesting comparison of the kidneys and intestine as excretory 

 channels. It is not believed that the findings differed especially 

 from the normal, except in that group of cases which suffered from 

 intestinal diarrhea. The average findings in five cases with well- 

 formed stools, 74 to 79 per cent, moisture, and those with diarrheal 

 stools, 79 to 89 per cent, moisture, have been grouped separately 

 in the table below. 



Number of 



Moisture Con- 



Fecal Output in Per Cent, of Total Output of Beth Urine and Feces. 



Cases. 



tent of Feces, 



















Per Cent. 



H 2 0. 



N. 



S. 



CI. 



P. 



Ca. 



Mg. 



K. 



5 



76 



6 



10 



10 



3 



36 



90 



72 



18 



9 



84 



16 



15 



19 



9 



33 



89 



68 



27 



An inspection of the table shows that in the first group of 

 cases the total nitrogen and total sulfur parallel each other very 

 closely, as probably might be expected from their common origin 



1 Myers and Fine, Am. Jour. Med. Sc., 1913, cxlv, 705. 



