IOWA ACADEMY OP SCIENCE 
103 
TABLE III. 
Subject C. 
Date 
L 1 
Conditions 
Volume, cc. 
s 
u 
tie 
o 
Nitrogen, 
grms. 
Uric acid, 
grm 
Jan. 14 
Enrtog'pnmis 
725 
9.43 
0.419 
15 
Endogenous 
720 
1.94 
10.25 
0.448 
16 
Endogenous 
680 
2.09 
9.72 
0.453 
17 
Endogenous ' 
755 
1.73 
9.70 
0.496 
AvPTTigp PTidngPTimis 
1.92 
9.70 
0.454 
18 
0.7 grm. para-hydroxy-benzoic acid.. .. 
855 
1.50 
9.63 
0.139 
19 
2.0 grm. para-hydroxy-benzoic acid 
810 
2.20 
9.09 
0.439 
20 
3.0 grm. para-hydroxy-benzoic acid . 
1020 
1.77 
9.11 
0.340 
Avprngp pnra-hydm'vy-hp'ny.nlp npT<l 
1.82 
9.28 
0.306 
21 
Endogenous _ 
775 
1.74 
10.29 
0.439 
22 
Endogenous 
900 
1.37 
10.34 
0.398 
23 
EnflngPTimis 
810 
1.75 
0.356 
24 
Endogenous 
905 
1.99 
10.61 
0.432 
Avprngp PTidngPTiPns 
1.71 
10.41 
0.406 
26 
2 grms. sodium salicylate 
805 
1.95 
11.26 
0.534 
27 
3 grms. sodium salicylate 
805 
1.74 
10.39 
0.586 
Again with Subject C susceptibility to salicylic acid is evident while the para 
compound actually decreases the urinary uric acid. A possible explanation m the 
decreased nuclein cleavage, but in view of there being no such drop in the total 
nitrogen nor in the uric acid eliminated under similar conditions by Subject B, 
also of the danger of drawing too positive conclusions from a single experiment 
in physiological chemistry, final decision should be postponed. The experiments 
seem to clearly indicate that neither of the hydroxy-benzoic acids affect nitrogen 
metabolism except in the case of uric acid. Furthermore, when the side chains 
are in the ortho position the uric acid is increased in the urine; when in the 
meta or para positions this is not true. If Emil Fischer’s hypothesis be cor- 
rect that in order to produce decomposition a ferment must have a configuration 
corresponding to that of the compound which it changes, we can apply it here to 
explain the different effects of these three isomeric substances; otherwise we 
must await the discovery of additional facts to devise a more rational theory. 
