O'SHEA — ASPECTS OF MENTAL ECONOMY. 143 



would then range from 1.80 to 2.50 grams.) Quantities above 

 or below these figures indicate a defect in digestive power. 

 While No. 11,599 is sub-normal in proteid digestion, he is hyper- 

 normal, if the term will be allowed, in starch digestion. No. 

 8,938 shows excess work here as in the case of proteid digestion. 

 As an outcome of these examinations it is possible to deter- 

 mine the working power of the stomach in various directions, 

 and the results are indicated in the charts by coefficients of di- 

 gestive work. It can be seen that No. 8,938 does excessive 

 work in respect of the liberation of chlorine during the digestive 

 processes, indicated by the tracing in the columns m and n. 

 No. 11,599 is quite deficient in this regard. The coefficient of 

 proteid digestion is a, and this power is shown to be normal 

 in the acid but deficient in the hypopeptic stomach. 

 The coefficient of fermentation is x, which is shown to exist in 

 the case of No. 11,599 but not in the other instance. The co- 

 efficients of starch digestion are of two kinds : b^ which denotes 

 the relation of the perfectly digested starch or maltose found 

 in the stomach fluid to the dextrin and soluble starch which is 

 imperfectly digested or converted; and b 2 , which has reference 

 to the amount of maltose or perfectly digested starch to the 

 amount found in normal digestion. No. 8,938 is sub-normal 

 in the first sort of digestion, and hyper-normal in the second; 

 and substantially the same condition is found in the other stom- 

 ach. The power of salivary activity is represented by the coeffi- 

 cient c. This is determined in the experiment by requiring the 

 subject to chew gum for a given length of time z the saliva se- 

 creted being collected and examined. The column headed y re- 

 lates to the digestive activity of the stomach with reference to 

 the power of disintegrating the food substances ; it is determined 

 by comparing the undissolved residue of the fluid with the to- 

 tal amount of stomach fluid obtained. In both stomachs there 

 is less than the normal amount, which shows excessive activity 

 in this respect. Finally the examination shows the rapidity 

 with which the stomach fluid is disposed of. The coefficient 

 2 refers to this digestive capacity, and is obtained by a comparir 



