Calcium and potassium content of secretions from noncancerous and cancerous stomachs.

There is more or less general agreement that the calcium content of rapidly growing tumors is relatively low, whereas the potassium content is relatively high (11). Since changes in the secretions of a given parenchyma might reflect certain changes within its cells, a study of the calcium and potassium content of gastric juice from noncancerous and cancerous stomachs was undertaken, to observe whether or not characteristic "mineral patterns" might be detected. Gamble and Mclver (2) found the calcium content of gastric juice from stomach pouches in cats to be 10.6 mgm. per cent (similar to that of blood serum) 2 to 4 hours after eating, while 8 to 12 hours after food the content was 5.7 mgm. per cent (about half of the earlier value); the potassium content was 45 mgm. per cent and 53 mgm. per cent at corresponding intervals. Ingraham and Visscher (5) observed inverse concentration ratios between the sodium and potassium in the gastric juice and blood plasma of anesthetized dogs injected with histamine, the juice having been obtained from the cannulated pylorus. Rudd (8) obtained juice from man, both with and without histamine stimulation; calcium concentrations varied from 4.1 to 8.6 mgm. per cent, and potassium concentrations from 25 to 74 mgm. per cent. In a later paper (9) values of 4.06 to 8.64 mgm. per cent for calcium and 42.12 to 72.54 mgm. per cent for potassium were reported. Calcium appeared to increase in amount as the acidity fell. Klerks (1) found the average calcium in the fasting gastric juice of 31 Javanese patients and of 33 Chinese and 32 native students to be 4.4, 3.4, and 3.6 mgm. per cent respectively. Kirsner and Bryant (6) studied the calcium content of gastric juice in 65 patients after histamine injection; in spite of variation in individual cases there was a definite direct relationship between the calcium level and the hydrogen ion concentration. For example, juices with a pH range of 1.49 to 1.91 from 36 patients contained an average of 2.06 mgm. per cent of calcium, while those from 12 patients with a pH range of 3.05 to 8.38 contained an average of