Reduced gastric acidity and decrease in the volume of gastric contents were observed in eight cases of fractured bones in which excessive bone atrophy and delayed calcification were found about the sites of fracture. Five of these cases were treated and followed.
Our findings and experience in these cases lead us to conclude that the addition of hydrochloric acid (four to eight cubic centimeters of a 10-per-cent. solution, three times a day) to a diet high in calcium and vitamins increases the absorption of calcium and furthers the calcification of bone.