316 ON THE QUANTITY OF FOOD 



from our data that from butcher's meat, cheese, 

 and milk, about IJ ounce of azote is taken into 

 the stomach daily, and nearly as much passed 

 off by urine and faeces. 



Upon the wholie we may observe, that of the 

 61bs. of aliment taken in a day, there appears 

 to be nearly 1 lb. of carbone and azote together ; 

 the remaining 51bs. are chiefly water, which 

 seems necessary as a vehicle to introduce the 

 other two elements into the circulation, and also 

 to supply the lungs and other membranes with 

 moisture. Very nearly the whole quantity of 

 food enters into the circulation ; for, the faeces 

 constitute only one- 18th part, and of these a 

 part, bile, must have been secreted; one great 

 portion is thrown off by means of the kidneys, 

 namely about half of the whole weight taken, 

 but probably more or less according to climate 

 and season, &c. — another great portion is thrown 

 off by means of insensible perspiration, this last 

 may be sub-divided into two portions, one of 

 which goes off by the skin, amounting to 

 one-6th part, and the other five-6th, are dis- 

 charged from the lungs in carbonic acid and in 

 water or aqueous vapour. 



Such are the deductions I have drawn from 

 my early experiments, and from the light which 



