Abstract
The effects of the 30 days calcium deficiency in various stages of growth of the young rats and of the later calcium replenishment were examined on the bone composition, the serum alkali-phosphatase value, the X-ray picture of bones and food intakes. The calcium deficiency yielded only a slight change in the ash, calcium, phosphorus, and concentration of the bone, compared with the considerable reduction in the absolute amount of these elements. This suggests that calcium deficiency does not give great change in bone ash composition. The serum alkali-phosphatase value showed an increase at the end of the deprivation period, with the highest rise in the youngest group, and was lowered near to the control level by calcium replenishment. The smaller food intake and the lowered food efficiency observed on the calcium deficient groups might account in part for their retarded growth of weight. The calcium was retained much efficiently during the period of calcium deprivation, compared with the control group.
