472 Influence of Inanition on Metabolism. 



a fast it is clear that the tissues of the body have the power of absorbing and 

 retaining water other than as water of flesh. Contrary to this view is the 

 fact observed that there are no material variations in the density of the blood, 

 and the exact place where this excess water accumulates is as yet unexplained. 



If the deductions based upon experiment No. 75 are correct, it is especially 

 interesting to note that, of all the factors of katabolism during inanition, the 

 excretion of residuum water, other than that combined with the flesh, alone 

 ceases on the sixth day. The katabolism of protein as shown by the experi- 

 ments with Succi may continue for 30 or more days. Certainly there is a 

 large amount of fat left in the body, even after prolonged inanition, and ex- 

 periments on animals would imply that there are also small amounts of glyco- 

 gen remaining in the body after prolonged inanition. Similarly, the skeleton 

 may be drawn upon persistently throughout the whole of the fast, but the re- 

 sults of this 7-day experiment suggest that the residuum or excess water in 

 the body is wholly eliminated by the end of a 5-day fast. 



Effect of inanition on the proportion of water in the body. Since the total 

 katabolism is measured in these experiments, it is of interest to compare the 

 losses of solid matter with those of water. From the data regarding the 

 amounts of protein, fat, glycogen, and ash katabolized and preformed water 

 lost from the body, the proportion of water to total solid matter leaving the 

 body during inanition may be computed. 



In table 230 are recorded the weights of solids katabolized, i. e., the amounts 

 of protein, fat, glycogen, and ash, the loss of preformed water, and the per cent 

 of the total loss due to water. The data are given only for the longer fasts. 



The total weight of solid material katabolized may vary from 217 to 341 

 grams, while the loss of preformed water in these experiments ranges from 203 

 to 965 grams. In one instance, namely, on the first day of experiment No. 75, 

 there was an absolute gain of preformed water to the body. The total loss 

 may be as high as 1236 grams. An examination of the figures in the last 

 column of the table shows that the per cent of total loss due to water varies 

 within considerable limits, the lowest, 41.1 per cent, being on the third day of 

 experiment No. 69, and the highest, 78.6, on the second day of experiment 

 No. 77. The daily averages for the 5 experiments given in the table are 54.4, 

 62.0, 63.2, 59.6, and 75.3 per cent, respectively. 



Since it is commonly assumed that the body contains approximately 60 

 per cent of water, it is seen that the proportions of water to solid matter in 

 the material lost are not widely different from those occurring in the body. 



In experiment No. 69, the per cent of water lost is much lower than the 

 average (60 per cent) and in experiment No. 77 the loss is much larger (75.3 

 per cent) . The fact that there was an actual gain of preformed water on the 

 first day of experiment No. 75 would lower very considerably the proportion 

 of the total loss due to water. 



