BASAL METABOLISM. 



67 



as in this experiment. 1 Inasmuch as so long a time has elapsed since 

 the fasting experiment in December 1906 was made, and particularly 

 as full reports of both short and long fasts have been given in recent 

 publications, 2 it seems unnecessary to discuss in further detail the 

 results of this experiment. 



Following the 2-day fasting experiment with A. H. M., December 3 

 to 5, 1906, a 1-day food experiment was carried out December 5 to 6, 

 in which the somewhat unfortunate attempt was made to have the sub- 

 ject take a considerable amount of olive oil in the form of mayonnaise 

 dressing with lettuce and lemon juice. The results of this experiment 

 are given in table 14. The total amount of food was relatively small, 

 being only 213 grams ; the amount of nitrogen in the food was negligible ; 

 the total fuel value was 1,109 calories, almost entirely from fat, and a 

 little over one-half the amount necessary for maintenance. Under these 

 conditions there was practically no change in the metabolism, for the 

 slight plus and minus values observed in the several columns can not 

 be considered as any larger than would be normally expected in daily 

 fluctuations. 



TABLE 19. A. H. M., December 5, 1906. (12-hour periods, 9 a. m. to 9 p. m.) 

 Mayonnaise, lettuce, and lemon: 



Amount, 213 grams; nitrogen, 0.37 gram; energy, 1,112 calories. 



Fuel value: Total, 1,109 calories; from protein, 1 per cent; from fat, 98 per cent; 

 from carbohydrates, 1 per cent. 



'Subject finished eating 48 minutes after the beginning of the period. 



Since the influence of the food, if any, was slight, there is a possi- 

 bility that the effect would be shown during the first few hours after 

 the taking of the food, and would thereafter disappear or even be 

 compensated for in a slight degree. It seemed best, therefore, to 

 analyze this particular experiment further. Consequently the values 

 were computed with a subdivision of the day into 12-hour periods. 

 The results for the period from 9 a. m. to 9 p. m. are given in table 19. 

 On this basis we find a slight increase for all three of the values given, 

 amounting to 13 grams for the carbon-dioxide production, 28 grams for 



Benedict, Carnegie Inst. Wash. Pub. No. 77, 1907, p. 388, table 203. 

 2 Benedict, Carnegie Inst. Wash. Pub. No. 77, 1907, and No. 203, 1915. 



