Aug. 15, 1925 
Effect of Sodium in a Wheat Ration 
367 
pared with varying proportions of different kinds of salts, among 
which are salts containing calcium, sodium, and chlorine ( 19, 20, 
23, 24 ). However, the inclusion of these elements with the 
restricted wheat ration and vitamin A, or wheat in combination with 
wheat gluten and vitamin A, have not met the needs of the mother 
rats in caring for their young in the Wisconsin experiments. 
In the following pages data will be presented showing that rats 
can be successfully fed rations similar to those used at Wisconsin, 
and that through certain adjustments in making up the mineral 
deficiencies these rats can properly care for their young and successive 
generations may be brought to maturity. The effect of the variation 
of the amount of sodium in such a wheat ration is also shown. 
With the exception of calcium and phosphorus (5 ), comparatively 
little work seems to have been done to determine the optimum 
amounts of the various inorganic elements which are needed by 
animals under varying conditions. Even the work on calcium and 
phosphorus is far from complete. Forbes {2, p. 145), in 1909, made 
the following statement: 
Our knowledge of the amounts and kinds of mineral matter required by ani¬ 
mals is indefinite and fragmentary. Much progress has yet to be made in this 
field. Such recommendations as we are able to make should be regarded only 
as general indications of the truth. 
Forbes has since made an extensive study of phosphorus (5) and 
calcium, as reported in Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station 
bulletins {6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 25, 26) and in other papers. Sherman (27) 
also has recognized the need of a further quantitative study of the 
inorganic elements. 
Emphasis has been placed upon the acid-base balance (27, 3) of 
inorganic elements. Later information (15, 16) tends to show that 
excess of mineral acids is not as harmful as was formerly believed. 
Lamb and Evvard (16) make this statement: “If the other elements 
in a natural ration are satisfactory, it is not necessary to balance the 
acid and basic mineral elements for growing swine.” 
That there is lack of definite information regarding the inorganic 
elements in human and animal nutrition may be shown by an exami¬ 
nation of such texts as those by Lusk (18), Henry and Morrison (14), 
and Armsbv ( 1 ). . 
Harnemann, quoted in Lusk, states that in man the sodium-chloride 
balance was maintained with 5 gms. of salt daily, which was half to 
one-quarter the amount usually taken. Lusk states that “one of 
the most important questions of the time concerns the determina¬ 
tion of the quantity of salts in the food necessary to prevent malnu¬ 
trition in children.” 
Henry and Morrison state in 1922 (14) that “at present there is 
little data regarding the minimum amounts of lime and phosphorus 
which will permit normal development of growing animals.” They 
say that a reasonable allowance of salt for a horse is 2 oz. per day; 
and that milk cows should receive at least 1 oz. a day; that 0.75 oz. 
a day per 1,000 lbs. of live weight with 0.3 oz. in addition for every 
10 lbs. of milk produced is generally sufficient. “A plan followed by 
many dairymen is to mix 0.5 lb. to 1 lb. of salt with each 100 lbs. 
of concentrates, and then in addition to provide salt so the cows can 
have access to it and take all they wish.” 
