Publication Date:
1941-01-01
Description:
1. In metabolism experiments undertaken to study the channels of elimination of copper under varying conditions, the rabbit was chosen as experimental animal for convenience of manipulation. This choice, although not defeating the main objects of the work, accidentally added valuable informationon the little-known habit of “physiological faecal refection”in this animal.2. On a normal diet of bran and oats, containing the usual traces of copper, the rabbit is in copper equilibrium, excreting as much in faeces and urine as is taken in the food. Urinary elimination is of the order of 0·07–0·38 mg. per litre, but this is very subsidiary to faecal elimination of about 2·5 mg. per 100 g. of dry matter, which may account for even more than 96 % of the total food copper.3. Increase of food copper is not reflected by material increase of urinary output, the higher quantities appearing almost entirely in the faeces. Of 50 mg. of copper or nearly 200 times the normal food intake, as the dissolved sulphate dried on to the food, only 0·1 mg. appeared in the urine, the remainder being slowly excreted in the faeces over the unexpectedly long period of 4 or 5 weeks.
Print ISSN:
0021-8596
Electronic ISSN:
1469-5146
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
