Abstract
Excretion of the various mineral elements was followed for a period of ten days after a diet of known inorganic composition. During the last four days of the experiment a measured amount of calcium acetate was taken by mouth.
Balance sheets, for the four day period of calcium acetate and the four day period preceding, show that calcium has no effect on the metabolism of any element except phosphorus. There was no increase in the excretion of sodium as after the administration of potassium salts. The amount of phosphorus excreted in the urine was decreased and the amount excreted in the feces was increased during the calcium acetate period. With this decrease in the phosphoric acid load on the kidney the amount of ammonia excreted in the urine was also decreased.
In another experiment similarly conducted, it was found that the administration of potassium or magnesium acetates had no influence on the partititon of phosphorus in the urine and feces, whereas the effect of calcium chloride was similar to that of calcium acetate.
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