抄録
The results of quantitative determination of indican in the urine of 14 cases, of the aggregate number of sixty days may be summarized as follows: the amount of indican produced in the body of a human being had always an intimate connection with the state of appetite, and when appetite was absent indican increased, and when the former increased the latter decreased.
Further it seemed sometimes that the amount of indican differed according to the kinds of disease besides the influence of appetite. For instance, in such a consumptive disease as tuberculosis it seemed that much indican was excreted in spite of good appetite. But it is not easily concluded whether it was due to the consumptive process in the body or to another cause. The question should be answered after investigation of a great number of cases.
Furthermore it seemed that there was a difference in amount of produced indican between the case of a quiet life and the case of an active life. That is to say, the amount of indican in the case of active life seemed larger than that in the case of quiet life. But the solution of this problem rests on further studies.
The aim of these studies is to decide the mechanism of indican formation, bacterial or abacterial. Therefore, if it was proved positively that indican is incrcased by absence of appetite or inanition, it may be truly said that the aim of these studics has been achieved for the most part.
If it is proved that the consumptive process or sole muscular exercise increases the indican formation, it is also another piece of strong evidence for the theory of abacterial formation. But the solution of this question, requires further investigation. At present the author is pleased with the findings of the first step toward further investigation in the indican problem.
