Lactose has been shown to increase the acidity of the intestinal tract. Rickets seems to be associated with an alkaline reaction in the intestinal tract. Coupling these facts led to this investigation to determine the effect of lactose on rickets.
A connection between increased alkalinity of the intestinal tract and rickets has been pointed out by several investigators.
Zucker and Matzner1 noted a lowering of the fecal ph of rachitic rats when antirachitic substances were added to the diet.
Abrahamson and Miller2 suggested that the lowering of the acidity of the intestinal tract on a rachitic diet, with the resulting formation of insoluble calcium phosphate, might be an important factor in the deficiency of calcium absorption and deposition on rachitic diets.
Grayzel and Miller3 found that the entire intestinal tract of dogs showed acidity on all the diets used except the rickets-producing diet, which caused a rise