40 Influence of Inanition on Metabolism. 



each day, suggesting constancy of katabolism. In comparing the results of the 

 three different days, there is an increasing loss of nitrogen, a nearly constant loss 

 of carbon, a rapidly diminishing loss of hydrogen and oxygen, and consequently 

 a corresponding diminution in the water lost. The striking difference, as has 

 been pointed out above, is in the case of carbohydrates, in which the loss of 

 glycogen becomes markedly less each day. But 4.22 grams of glycogen were 

 oxidized in the body on the last day. 



Since experiment No. 59 is one of the earliest experiments in the series in 

 which fasting metabolism was studied, it seems undesirable to discuss the 

 peculiar characteristics of the fasting metabolism until opportunity is had to 

 examine all of the available data; consequently, the data for the subsequent 

 experiments will be presented in due course and the main discussion deferred 

 until all the evidence has been considered. It does seem fitting, however, to 

 explain somewhat more fully the use of terms employed in the tables above. 



In discussing material katabolized in the body, objection can be raised to 

 the use of the expression " water katabolized in the body/' since in the compu- 

 tations of the quantities of material katabolized water is involved only as pre- 

 formed water. Aside from this preformed water, which leaves the body as such 

 and is considered in the table as " water katabolized in the body," there is other 

 water resulting from the oxidation of the protein, fat. and carbohydrates. The 

 total water eliminated from the body, namely, the sum of the water of urine, 

 respiration and perspiration, and feces, if any, includes not only the water 

 katabolized in the body in the sense in which the expression is used above (i. e., 

 preformed water), but also the water resulting from the katabolism of the 

 protein, fats, and carbohydrates. Certain discrepancies appear when the 

 attempt is made to compare the water katabolized in the body in table 9 with 

 the total water output. There is an excess of water eliminated over the 

 so-called " water katabolized in the body," but if the water of oxidation of the 

 organic hydrogen of protein, fat, and carbohydrates katabolized is deducted 

 from the total water elimination, the discrepancy disappears. Since a portion 

 of the organic hydrogen of the protein katabolized, i. e., the organic hydrogen 

 of the urine, is not oxidized, this amount must be deducted from the organic 

 hydrogen of the protein. A mathematical verification of these points may be 

 made in the following way : 



The total water eliminated equals the weight of the water in the urine, 

 1494.50 grams (see table 9) plus the water of respiration and perspiration, 

 982.32 grams, or a total of 2476.82 grams. The water katabolized from the 

 body as preformed water is 2247.48 grams. Thus there was an excess of 

 229.34 grams excreted as the result of oxidized hydrogen of organic matter. 

 During this day there were katabolized 71.04 grams of protein, 150.72 grams 

 of fat, and 89.16 grams of glycogen. These materials contain 4.97, 17.78, and 

 5.53 grams of organic hydrogen, respectively a total of 28.28 grams. Deduct- 



