412 



Scientific Proceedings (124). 



upset by epinephrine. May we not have a mechanism analogous 

 to secretin which controls the glycogenic function? 



The subjects for our sugar experiments were healthy students 

 (men and women). All were familiar with the technique of vena- 

 puncture, both as operators and as subjects. The blood samples 

 were taken from an arm vein by skilled operators, and there was 

 not the slightest ground for suspecting psychic effects on blood 

 sugar in any of the experiments reported here. 



Abstracts of the Communications. 

 Minnesota Branch. 

 Fifth Meeting. 

 Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 10, 1922. 

 203 (1950) 



The diagnostic value of phosphate metabolism in experimental 



rickets. 



By J. F. McCLENDON. 



[ From the Laboratory of Physiological Chemistry, University of 

 Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minn.] 



These results are based on a study of 150 rats, taken from the 

 mothers at the age of three weeks when they weighed about 30 

 gm. and placed on experimental diets in small separate cages 

 shielded from ultraviolet rays of sunlight. They were not given 

 cod-liver oil or butter fat, but they had sufficient vitamine-A for 

 varying degrees of growth. All of them were x-rayed at the end 

 of this period and turned over to Dr. C. M. Jackson for morpho- 

 logical study. His observations have confirmed my diagnoses. 



In order to diagnose rickets in rats the average P metabolism 

 and growth per day were determined (weights being expressed in 

 milligrams) and the following empirical formula was used. Rach- 

 itic index = RI. 



RI = increase in body weight X 0.0022 — (P retention — 2). 



