I9I3] 



Alfred P. Lothrop 



469 



in a preliminary way, the general resistance of fasting dogs to 

 hemorrhage. 



Thus far thirteen dogs have been under Observation. After 

 preliminary periods (six to eighteen days) on our Standard labora- 

 tory diet for dogs, each animal was subjected to a total fast for 

 f rom seven to thirteen days. Blood was then drawn from a femoral 

 artery under local Cocain anesthesia until the respiratory conditions 

 suggested that further removal might be fatal. The Operations were 

 usually performed at about 3 p. m. The fast was continued until 

 the following morning, at 9, when, if the animal survived, the daily 

 ration of the preliminary period was offered. Of the thirteen dogs 

 that have been subjected to comparatively heavy hemorrhages, ten 

 survived and speedily recovered. 



After an average loss of 21 per cent. of the normal body weight 

 as a result of fasting, blood equal to an average of 3.3 per cent. of 

 the body weight at the time of Operation (2.6 per cent. of body 

 weight when the fast was started) has been removed from the ten 

 surviving dogs without causing any serious Symptoms. The essen- 

 tial data pertaining to the three fatal cases are appended. 



Similar experiments on dogs under conditions of partial fasting 

 will be conducted prior to the Inauguration of the metabolism studies 

 to which these general observations are a prelude. 



Biochemical Laboratory of Columbia University, 

 College of Physicians and Surgeons, 

 New York 



The blood was withdravvn in from five to seven minutes. 



