66 



Influence of Inanition on Metabolism. 



that on some mornings subjects wore the rectal thermometer while on others 

 they did not. For these and similar reasons it has been a matter of a consider- 

 able amount of computation to obtain from the fluctuations in weight as shown 

 by the scale the true fluctuations in weight of the body of the subject. 



The comparison for experiment No. 68 of the balance of income and outgo 

 and the fluctuations in weight as shown by the scale are given in table 29. 



The intake of the subject consisted solely of drinking-water and oxygen from 

 the air. The outgo consisted of urine, carbon dioxide, and water of respiration 

 and perspiration. As has been stated above, the subjects always urinated after 

 7 a. m., and hence in obtaining the balance of intake and output from a stand- 

 point of weight the actual time at which the urine is passed must be considered 



Table 29. Comparison of changes in body-weight with balance of income and 

 outgo Metabolism experiment No. 68. 



1 The data in this column should not be confounded with urine data in other tables. (See ex- 

 planation.) 



rather than the period to which the urine physiologically belongs. Thus in 

 column d of table 29 the amount of urine 1236.4 grams does not correspond 

 with the amount 1001.7 grams shown in line a of table 23. The figure 

 1236.4 grams is the sum of the urine passed as follows: April 27, 7 a. in., 

 532.2 grams; 1 p. m., 267.5 grams; 7 p. m., 264.6 grams; 11 p. m., 172.1 

 grams. On the other hand, the figure 1001.7 grams is obtained by the assump- 

 tion commonly made in metabolism experiments that the urine passed at the 

 end of a given 6-hour period belongs physiologically to that period. For 

 example, the urine passed, at 1 p. m. represents the results of katabolism 18 

 from 7 a. m. to 1 p. m., and 267.5 -f 264.6 -f 172.1 (see above) -f 297.5 (the 

 number of grams passed at 7 a. m., April 28) = 1001.7 grams, the total urine 

 corresponding to the katabolism from 7 a. m., April 27, to 7 a. m., April 28. 



18 The numerous studies on the time relations of protein katabolism show that at 

 least in experiments with food this assumption, though commonly used by all 

 physiologists, is not strictly true. 



