Abstract
IT has been shown before1 that several plant tissues contain ascorbic acid in a combined state (ascorbigen) besides free ascorbic acid. This substance has since been considerably concentrated from cabbage2. The presence of combined ascorbic acid in urine was observed by Scarborough and Stewart3 and by ourselves4. Evidence has been presented from this laboratory5 which indicates that ascorbic acid may have a detoxicating action both in the normal system and al so in the infected condition. Thus after the injection of diphtheria and tetanus toxins into guinea pigs, excretion of free ascorbic acid in the urine was found to be diminished, associated with an increase in the output of combined ascorbic acid. Abbasy, Hill and Harris6 also showed that in certain infected conditions the excretion of free ascorbic acid was decreased, but the fate of the disappearing ascorbic acid is unknown. We have recently been able to investigate the relative excretion of free ascorbic acid, dehydro-ascorbic acid and combined ascorbic acid of nine normal individuals and of sixteen patients suffering from acute pulmonary tuberculosis. The mean values are given below and are expressed in terms of ascorbic acid (mgm.) excreted during a 24-hour period.
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