4 BULLETIN 103, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
was 5.23 grams? (80.714 grains) per man per day. F ollowing these 
experiments four men took 1 gram (15.433 grains) of aluminum a day 
each for several days,’ and then their blood was tested to detect any 
alununum that might be present in it. No aluminum was found in 
the blood. As a further indirect test to determine whether aluminum 
was resorbed, one man took for five days enough aluminum hydroxide 
to furnish 0.660 gram (10.186 grains) of aluminum a day and another 
took enough to give 0.540 gram (8.334 grains) a day for five days. 
The men were fed a diet of low and known phosphorus content and 
the excrementa analyzed for phosphorus, in order to detect, if pos- 
sible, signs of abstraction of this element from the tissues by resorbed 
aluminum. ‘This test failed to demonstrate resorption of aluminum. 
CONCLUSIONS OF INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATORS. 
Dr. Chittenden concludes from his experiments that small quan- 
tities of aluminum compounds, and even comparatively large 
quantities, when taken daily with the food, have no effect upon the 
general health and nutrition of the body. ‘‘In other words,” as he 
sums up his conclusions, ‘‘aluminum compounds when used in foods— 
as in bread—in such quantities as were employed in our experi- 
ments do not affect injuriously the nutritive value of such foods or 
render them injurious to health, so far as any evidence obtained in 
our experimental work indicates.”’ 
Dr. Long, in concluding his report, calls attention to the fact that 
alum is rather generally used in the manufacture of cucumber pickles. 
This is an old practice which had its origin in the household rather 
than in the factory and is still common in the household. The haren- 
ing effect of the alum is believed to help in keeping the pickles. In 
the factory the cucumbers are first soaked for several weeks in strong 
brine, then in fresh water overnight, this process being sometimes 
repeated. Then the cucumbers are put into an alum liquor in which 
the weight of alum used is about one-fourth of 1 per cent of the weight 
of the cucumbers. The cucumbers and liquor are heated up to 120° 
or 140° F., then cooled and allowed to stand for from 6 to 24 hours. 
Then comes a bath in fresh water and afterwards the final treat- 
ment with vinegar. The vinegar takes out some of the alum from 
the pickles, so that usually the alum left in them amounts to less than 
two-tenths of 1 per cent. 
Alum is also used in the preparation of maraschino cherries, and 
perhaps some other fruits. But the quantities of aluminum that 
might be consumed either in pickles or in the fruits referred to are so 
small, compared with the quantities actually consumed in baking 
powders, that the study of alum baking powders may be taken to cover 
the entire field. 
1A bout one-fifth ounce of Glauber’s salt. (See footnote, p. 3.) 
* This corresponds to approximately 10 level teaspoonfuls of alum kaking powder. 
