PROGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

the period of observation. The mean increase in the seventh hour after glycine was about 4 0 mgm./100 c.c., but the actual increase in a particular case appeared to depend entirely on d:uresis and the urea excreted. Blood-sugar decreased about 10-15 mgm. per 100 c.c. after glycine ingestion, but tended to approach the fasting level in the course of six to seven hours. The non-glucose-reducing substances were not significantly altered. The non-protein nitrogen fraction (non-urea and amino-N) of the blood was increased after glycine administration. Nitrogen elimination was much increased also and the excess urea-N excretion during six hours of the postglycine period amounted to 0-23 of the nitrogen given as glycine. The total nitrogen of the urine (less the aminoand urea-N fractions) was increased after glycine. and this was due either to increased elimination or to increased production in the tissues, or to both. Sulphate excretion was maintained at a higher level than was found for controls during the postabsorptive period. It appeared that the sulphate excretion provided a more reliable index of specific dynamic action than the nitrogen excretion during the period of observation in the experiments dealt with here. The examination of schizophrenics after glycine ingestion did not reveal any striking deviation as to their blood and urine chemistry from those in normal subjects. The character of the mean blood amino-N and urine amino-N curves suggested delay in the absorption of the ingested material as compared with normal. Blood nitrogen and urine nitrogen estimations were not significantly different in schizophrenics from the normals. Approximately the excess urea-N excretion after glycine amounted to 0,21 of the nitrogen ingested as glycine. Sulphate excretion on the whole was less for schizophrenics than for the normals, and this could be due to decreased specific dynamic action in these psychotics or to a diminished absorption rate of the ingested material. Blood urea values in schizophrenics and in normal controls after the giving of 15 gm. urea in 100 c.c. were suggestive of delayed absorption, since the rise in blood urea was slower in the former. Conclusions based on blood urea values after glycine without consideration of the urea excretion are not justifiable. The attempt to demonstrate variations in the specific dynamic action of foodstuffs or glycine by ingestion methods in psychotics is also unjustifiable, in view of the variations in the processes of absorption which have been demonstrated in both normal and psychotic subjects.