The Washington times., 1935-10-25
Beatrice Fairx Warns Married Louers Against Being Too Hast
Health
Energy Tissue
Balance
By LOGAN CLENDENING, MD.


To the philosophic mind, the
most beautiful thing about ma
ture is in its balances.
The chemistry Of life in the
plants balances exactly the
chemistry of life in the animals.
One could not exist without the
other.
In the individual living organ
ism, the materials it receives
from nature are delicately bal
anced by the materials it gives
back.
When we come to analyZe
the balances that keep this deli
cate organism poised in nature
kept there by the continu-
alton of that mysterious force
we can name, but not define,
life-we find many.
I have indicated some OF
thea in other articles this
week. One is energy balance
the production Of enough heat
and mechanical energy in the
form of muscular movement to
maintain the integrity Of the
organism in the face of the
destructive forces Of the out
side universe.
Most Important
There are other balances,
however, that are tissue bal
ances. The most important Of
these is the nitrogenous equii,
brium Of the body-the balancq
Of the amount Of nitrogen
which enters and the amount
cast off by the body.
This is basic, because nitro
gen is the element that enters
into the chemistry Of the living
substance, protoplasm and
makes it what it Is. We take
nitrogen into body entirely in
the form Of nitrogen In the
food.
We do not utilize the nitrogen
that is in the air-the amount
in expired air is the same as
that of inspired air. 1t is q
very inert chemical. The nj
trogen that is cast off is mostly
in the form Of urea. excreted
in the kidneys.
The nitrogenous equilibrium
may be maintained at many
different levels, depending on
circumstances. If the nitrogen
in the food is low, the nitrogen
cast out becomes low and vice
versa.
But there is a certain point
beyond which this balance does
not 60. The tissues Of the body
are constantly breaking down
and being cast off in the form
Of nitrogenouS END products.
If this amount is not supplied
by the food, and more is going
out than is coming in. the nj
trogenous equilibrium is broken,
and if the condition continues
for any length Of time, death
will result.
Essential to Life
Everyone is familiar with the
emaciation which occurs at the
end of q long fever or other
wasting illness. This is the
result of nitrogenous imbalance.
And it is easy to see that this
nitrogenous equilibrium Is es-
Sential to life.
How low can the intake Of
nitrogen be and still be COM
patible with life? We know OF
the experiments Of Hindhede,
in Copenhagen, who maintained
a laboratory worker on a diet
of potatoes and margarine. He
had to eat a large amount OF
this monotonouS diet, and even
so it was found he was only
obtaining 80 grams OF portein
a day.
Most of us use four or five
times this amount, and as a
result, most of our nitrogenous
intake is wasted. 1t is inStruc-
tive, however, to see how quick
ly and completely the nitro
genouS balance is restored by
the body as the nitrogenouS
intake goes UP.
EDITORS NOTE: Six PAM
phlets by DR.. Clendening can
now be obtained by sending 10
cents in coin, for each, and a
self-addressed envelope stamped
with a three-cent stamp, to DR..
Logan Clendening, in care OF
this paper. The pamphlets are:
indigestion and Constipation,
Reducing and Gaining" In
fant Feeding" Instructions for
the Treatment Of Diabetes,
Feminine Hygiene" and The