RESULTS
My results may be summarized as follows:
1. The only change in the blood-cells that could be detected with certainty in rats or in man, after feeding with Sanatogen or after feeding with other foods, was a deeper staining of the nuclei of the white cells in the films taken after feeding as compared with the films taken during fasting. This difference is generally distinct, and unmistakable, although individual cells can always be found in the fasting and the feeding preparations that show no difference in affinity for the dyes. To this extent my results confirm those of Mann and Gage. I was not able, however, to make out any constant difference in the size of the cells, quantity of cytoplasm, or size and number of cytoplasmic granules similar to those reported by Mann and Gage.
2. There was no difference in the affinity for stains on the part of the white blood-cells in films taken after feeding Sanatogen and those taken after feeding milk, crackers, casein, and casein and sodium glycerophosphate. This is true for the tests both on man and on rats.
3. The above-mentioned difference in the staining of the cell nuclei was somewhat more marked in the tests on rats than in the tests on man, probably owing to the longer starvation period in the case of rats.
It has already been stated that the significance of this increased affinity for dyes in the nuclei of the white blood-cells must be determined by further investigation. It may be related to the change in the titration alkalinity of the blood rather than an evidence of “recuperative power” on the part of the blood, as it is well known that starvation induces acidosis, while during digestion the alkalinity of the blood is distinctly increased. If we assume that increased staining reaction during digestion indicates “increased recuperative power of the blood” it follows that such common and inexpensive foods as milk, crackers and casein are just as “powerful stimuli” to this recuperation as Sanatogen.
The extensive researches of Mendel and Osborne have shown that casein is in a certain sense a perfect food in that it is, in normal animals, capable of promoting growth and maintaining nitrogenous equilibrium, at least for long periods of time. The burden of proof, however, rests with the promoters of Sanatogen to show that the casein in Sanatogen is superior to the natural product of the cow.
Conclusion
From the findings in Professor Carlson’s report on this disguised puff of a mendaciously exploited proprietary, about all that remains to be said is that it is humiliating to find such pseudo-science, not only built up by members of a profession trained in science, but also given currency and authority by a medical journal of high standing.—(From the Journal A. M. A., Sept. 26, 1914.)