

34 Metabolism of Healthy Man. 



METABOLISM EXPERIMENT No. 105. 



Subject, B. F. D., May 5-7, 1905. (Same subject as in 

 experiment No. 103.) 



In a long series of experiments on the influence of inanition on metabolism, 

 several were more or less incomplete. One of these, experiment No. 105, was 

 planned to continue 2 regular days of 24 hours each, but during the second 

 night in the respiration chamber the subject became nauseated and it was 

 necessary to remove him and interrupt the experiment. In all probability this 

 subject suffered from the mercurial poisoning noted in connection with the 

 respiration chamber at about this time. A few notes upon this experiment, 

 particularly those pertaining to the appearance of toxic symptoms, have been 

 published elsewhere. 1 Since, however, the degree of poisoning was not sufficient 

 to cause a noticeable temperature rise and toxic symptoms were absent until 

 near the end of the experiment, we believe that at least the first part can be 

 considered as normal, and hence it is reported here. 



Routine and record of activity. The subject followed the usual practice and 

 entered the calorimeter early the night before in order to have a preliminary 

 night in the chamber before beginning the experiment proper. After entering, 

 some time was spent in adjusting the furniture and apparatus for the con- 

 templated 2-day experiment. The temperature equilibrium had been established 

 so quickly that it was possible to begin the preliminary observations at 9 p. m. 

 and from that time on the observations were made in 2-hour periods. At 11 

 p. m. urine was collected and the subject arranged the furniture, adjusted the 

 bed, undressed, and retired. The diary kept by the subject showed that he 

 slept well until 5 a. m., and then dozed until 7 a. m., when he was called. At 

 this time the urine was collected, the furniture was arranged for the day, and 

 the chair, man, and clothes were weighed. The body movements in this experi- 

 ment were only those incidental to the process of weighing, obtaining and 

 drinking water, collecting urine, and some minor muscular activity. At 7 h 24 m 

 a. m. the electrical rectal thermometer was inserted. The record of the body 

 movements is given herewith. They are of value in indicating the relative 

 body activity from period to period. 



As is seen from an inspection of these data, the subject remained fairly quiet 

 throughout the day, for the most part sitting in his chair and reading. He 

 retired at about the usual time, shortly after lip. m., but was troubled a little 

 with nausea. It was soon found that instead of sleeping quietly, the subject 

 was restless and at 12 o'clock he was not asleep. Nausea began again and it 

 was necessary to remove him from the chamber at 1 a. m., May 7. 



Since the experimental day was supposed to begin at 7 a. m. and the experi- 

 ment was primarily a study of fasting, the removal of the subject at 1 a. m. 

 prevented the completion of a 24-hour day for the special purpose for which 



1 Carpenter and Benedict, Am. Journ. Physiol., 1909, 24, p. 192. 



