The excretion of a metabolic product of salicylic acid

Abstract

The substance excreted in urine after salicylate adm., and causing the urine to turn dark on addition of NaOH in air, has been identified as gentisic acid; it appears in rat urine also after adm. of aspirin and methylsalicylate but not after salol or sulpho-salicylate. In rats poisoned with P or CCl4 it was not excreted after salicylate treatment but the effect of the poisoning was transient. Phlorhidzin did not prevent but rather increased its formation: nor was this prevented by large doses of ascorbic acid which, however, completely abolished the excretion of homogentisic acid in alkaptonuria.