4f>6 Influence of Inanition on Metabolism. 



moment of writing experiments are in progress which will, it is hoped, con- 

 tribute to the discussion of this matter. 



Total glycogen content of the body. The assumption has commonly been 

 made that the total glycogen content of the body is not far from 400 grams. 

 By means of phloridzin, the glycogen of the body of a dog has been rapidly 

 driven out in the urine, and the data thus obtained furnish information 

 regarding the glycogen content of the animal under experimentation. With 

 man the estimations are necessarily founded on a much less scientific basis. 



The data here presented give some evidence regarding the quantities of 

 glycogen in the body since the total amounts katabolized during varying periods 

 of inanition have been computed. The greatest amount katabolized during 

 the first 24 hours without food was, as has previously been stated, 181.6 grams. 

 The greatest output measured during a 2-day fast is that of experiment No. 85, 

 namely, 238 grams. The largest amount recorded at the end of 3 days of 

 fasting is that in experiment No. 71, 233 grams, a little less than that of the 2 

 days of experiment No. 85. For 4 days the largest recorded amount (259 

 grams) is in experiment No. 71. This amount is, as a matter of fact, not 

 even exceeded by the total glycogen katabolized in the 7 days of experiment 

 No. 75. Since it is highly probable that only a moderate portion of the total 

 glycogen of the body is oxidized in a fasting man during a period of inanition 

 no longer than 4 days, it would appear that the estimate of 400 grams of 

 glycogen for the content of the body is, if anything, too small rather than too 

 large. 



WATER. 



The factors involved in a complete study of the income and outgo of water 

 during inanition are the drinking-water and the water of urine, respiration 

 and perspiration, and feces. 154 



In striking a water balance, the income, namely, water of drink, is deducted 

 from the outgo, i. e., water of respiration and perspiration, urine and feces. 

 There is one factor affecting this balance, however, which must be taken into 

 consideration, namely, the portion of the water of outgo which is not preformed 

 water but represents the water of oxidation of the amounts of protein, fat, and 

 glycogen katabolized. As the result of the chemical transformations in the 

 body, there is an actual formation of water from the oxidation of organic hydro- 

 gen of body material katabolized, and hence the output of water may be said to 

 consist of two fractions : first, preformed water, i. e., that taken in the drink 

 or abstracted from the body tissues and fluids; and second, the water of oxi- 

 dation of organic hydrogen. In experiments of the nature of these here re- 

 ported, where a complete balance of intake and outgo is attempted, the data 

 are available for computing not only the loss from the body of preformed water, 

 but also the amount of water resulting from the oxidation of organic hydrogen. 



1M Special treatment has been accorded the feces in the fasting experiments and 

 therefore the water of feces is not discussed here. See p. 120. 



