Body-Weight. 301 



Experiments During Inanition, 

 body-weight. 



Aside from the general observations on fasting individuals, such as the 

 visible loss of flesh, strength, etc., perhaps the earliest measurement was that 

 of the loss in body-weight. Since in fasting the body subsists upon its own 

 tissues, it persistently loses in weight. It is to be regretted that in the majority 

 of the earlier experiments, more careful consideration was not given to the 

 weighings, accuracy of the scales used, uniformity in the amount of clothing 

 worn, etc. The records of loss in body-weight from day to day are therefore 

 in most instances very unsatisfactory, although in a few cases they were 

 seemingly made with care. 



The extreme accuracy of the weighing apparatus used in this laboratory tends 

 to make the weighings of more than ordinary value. Moreover, verification of 

 the changes in body-weight was secured in the experiments reported in the 

 preceding sections by comparing them with the balance of income and outgo. It 

 is therefore reasonable to suppose that the records of body-weight and changes 

 of body-weight here given are much more accurate than any earlier records. 



In instances of so-called complete fasting, i. e., where no drinking-water is 

 consumed, the loss in body-weight might be expected to be larger than in 

 those experiments in which water was taken, although the drinking of large 

 quantities of water is almost immediately compensated by the voiding of large 

 quantities of urine. In the complete fasting experiments, the only intake is 

 the oxygen of the air. This intake varies from 500 to 600 grams per day, 

 according to the muscular activity and size of the subject. Since this oxygen 

 combines with carbon and hydrogen in the body, and with the disintegration 

 of the body tissue there is a consequent loss of water, it is to be expected that 

 the loss in body-weight during complete fasting will be not far from 700 to 

 1000 grams per day. 



Experiments on animals have shown that with mammals, birds, amphibia, 

 and fishes, the loss reached 40 per cent of the original weight before death 

 ensued. Although numerous cases of fasting insane and pathological instances 

 of long fasting are recorded, no satisfactory evidence has been accumulated 

 to show the extent of the loss which the body can undergo before death 

 ensues in the case of men. Apparently authentic instances are recorded, 

 however, of professional f asters who succeeded in fasting from 30 to 45 (?) 

 days and again recovered their usual health. During these latter tests of 

 endurance, water was taken in every instance. 



Possibly the most accurate of the earlier studies of loss of body-weight durino- 

 complete fasting is that of Laun ' in an experiment on himself lasting 21^ 

 hours. From the completion of the evening meal at 10 o'clock February 19 



1 Untersuchungen zur Naturlehre des Menschen und der Thiere. Herausgegeben 

 von J. Moleschott. Frankfurt a. M. (1857), p. 278. 



