534 Influence of Inanition on Metabolism. 



examination of the statistical tables (pp. 277 to 284) shows that on some days 

 the food consumption was enormous. While no accurate record was kept 

 of the amount of muscular activity engaged in by this subject between the 

 fasts, except for an occasional walk of considerable length, no extraordinary 

 physical muscular exercise was noted. While hardly of a phlegmatic tem- 

 perament, he was not muscularly active or quick. 



Urine. From the statistical table 183 the determinations in the urine may 

 be obtained. No special abnormalities were noticed in the urine at any time 

 during the experiments. 



Nitrogen balance. Since nitrogen was determined not only in the food 

 and feces but also in the urine, the data were at hand for striking a complete 

 nitrogen balance in both nitrogen metabolism experiments. While the nitro- 

 gen in each day's food and urine was definitely determined, it was not possible 

 to know the exact excretion of fecal nitrogen per day since daily separations 

 were impossible. Accordingly, the feces for each week were separated, dried, 

 and analyzed and the nitrogen per day was calculated according to the methods 

 explained on page 294 and included in table 181. From the quantities of 

 nitrogen in the food, feces, and urine, therefore, the gain or loss could be 

 computed. The results of these computations are given in table 256 herewith. 

 It is believed that the daily gains or losses of nitrogen obtained by this method 

 as indicated in the last column of this table are not far from the true values, 

 although it is to be borne in mind that the quantities excreted in the feces were 

 determined only for the week and not for each individual day. 



The most striking feature of this table is the enormous gain of nitrogen 

 shown during the first and second weeks of the first experiment. Even during 

 the third week, there is a material gain amounting to more than 22 grams. 

 Nitrogen equilibrium is approximated only on the last few days. During the 

 4 days of the last period there was a gain of but 5.1 grams of nitrogen or 1.27 

 grams per day, as compared with a gain of 30 grams for the corresponding 

 4 days of the first week. 



During the second nitrogen metabolism experiment there is likewise a very 

 considerable gain of nitrogen during both weeks, but contrary to the first 

 experiment, the larger gain was in the second week. Since the subject was 

 obliged to leave Middletown, the experiment was stopped at the end of 2 

 weeks. During the first week the body gained an average of over 3 grams 

 and in the second week an average of over 4.5 grams of nitrogen per day. 



