The assimilation of the Steenbock-Black diet in normal and vitamin-D deficient rats with and without caecum

Abstract

The absorption of Ca and P from the Steenbock-Black diet is unaffected by the extirpation of the caecum. The only effect of this operation is a 1-2% less utilization of the diet. The slow rate of passage of the intestinal contents through the caecum of the rat does not play any role in the smaller susceptibility of the rat to rickets.