Studies on Salt Action. 



67 



such a diet corroborate our former statement and do not support 

 the conclusion of Stehle. 



Similar experiments were undertaken with these dogs on a 

 diet enriched in lime by the addition of dried milk. With one 

 animal a negative calcium balance was appreciably increased. 

 It seems unlikely, however, that this outcome is a neutralization 

 phenomenon. It has repeatedly been shown that when acid is 

 introduced into the organism the increased production of ammonia 

 is sufficient to neutralize it. 



When sodium chloride instead of hydrochloric acid was added 

 to the diet rich in lime the urinary calcium output was increased 

 and the calcium balance was favorably affected. 



The magnesium balance and the partition of this element 

 between the different paths of excretion was not significantly 

 altered in any of the experiments just described. 



148 (1326) 



Studies on salt action. I. Effect of calcium and sodium salts 

 upon the viability of the colon bacillus in water. 



By C.-E. A. Winslow and I. S. Falk. 



[From the Yale School of Medicine.] 



The experiments here reported are preliminary observations 

 designed to test the suitability of a certain bacterial characteristic, 

 the curve of viability in water, for use in more extensive studies of 

 salt action planned for the future. 



The organisms used were typical colon bacilli of the B. com- 

 munis (sucrose negative), type, isolated from a polluted stream in 

 the autumn of 1916. These bacteria were grown on standard 

 nutrient agar slants at 37 0 C. for 16-18 hours. The growth from 

 the surface was washed off in pure water, shaken for 5 minutes to 

 break up clumps and added in 1 c.c. portions to the bottles of 

 sterilized pure water or salt solution in which the viability was to 

 be tested. These solutions had been warmed to 37 0 before seed- 

 ing. Plates were made on agar one minute after seeding and the 

 bottles were then replaced in the 37 0 incubator and kept there for 

 24-52 hours, the number of surviving organisms being determined 



