3G0 Influence of Inanition on Metabolism. 



the different days of experiments Nos. 59 and 68, are open to the same 

 objection as has been pointed out before, namely, that they are mathematical 

 apportionments and do not represent actual determinations. 



The irregularity in the amounts of ash elimated on the different days of 

 the different fasts, is likewise noted in the amounts of total organic matter. 

 The lowest amount of organic matter, 17.86 grams, is on the first day of experi- 

 ment No. 71, while the highest amount, 49.03 grams, is that mathematically 

 apportioned to the third day of experiment No. 59. The largest amount 

 actually determined, 45.45 grams, is on the last day of experiment No. 77. 

 These limits, however, do not give a correct idea as to the relative constancy 

 which seems to obtain in almost all the experiments with regard to the total 

 amount of organic matter eliminated. In general the amount ranges some- 

 where between 30 and 40 grams. The greatest discrepancy generally appears 

 on the first day of the longer fasts, after which the amount remains fairly 

 constant for the different days of the fast. In all the experiments, the amount 

 is larger on the second day than on the first. 



In the fasts with S. A. B., the amounts of organic matter per day, especially 

 after the first day are worthy of note. Excepting the first day, in experiments 

 Nos. 71 and 73 the average amount is not far from 30 grams. It is about 38 

 grams in experiment No. 75, while in experiment No. 77, the total amount 

 of organic matter per day for the last three days rises to nearly 44 grams, thus 

 indicating that although on the second and succeeding days of fasting the 

 amount is relatively constant, there may be wide variations during different 

 fasts with the same subject, variations fully as wide as those obtained in the 

 2-day fasts with different subjects. It is noticeable that while the variations 

 from day to day in the same fast after the first day are insignificant, such 

 gross variations between different experiments with the same subject obtain. 



The determinations of total solid matter and ash in the urine of three one- 

 day fasting experiments reported by Pettenkofer and Voit 42 permit a compu- 

 tation of the amounts of organic matter. On the three days there were excreted 

 29.82, 25.26, and 31.89 grams of organic matter, respectively. 



Further discussion of the organic matter of urine will be found with the 

 data for the amounts of nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen of organic matter, and the 

 proximate constituents of the urine. 



Proportions of Ash and Organic Matter in Total Solids. 

 The greater amount of mineral matter excreted on the first days of the fast 

 produces wide variations in the proportions of organic and inorganic consti- 

 tuents of the total ash. In columns i and ; of table 193, the proportions of 

 ash and organic matter in the total solids are given. With the aid of these 

 proportions the wide variations in the ratio between the total solids and the 



"Loc. cit 



