WATER RELATIONS OF MAN 



101 



of Bq. At all larger loads recovery by gain is much faster than by 

 loss. Although ingestive gains seem slow, they are at loads above 

 ±2% of Bo faster than even the maximal rates of urinary losses 

 (fig. 55). 



Corrections for alimentary absorption (fig. 62) probably in- 

 fluence the absorbed water loads within 0.6 hour of any ingestion, 

 but not later. Hence they are of no consequence in the equilibra- 

 tion diagram at 1.0 hour, or in its corollaries or derivatives. 



I J +1.5 



^ S^ +1.0 



o 



3 



-5 I +0.5 



-P o 







Fig. 62. Water passed through the alimentary tract in relation to time after 

 water was drunk by men in water balance. A, mean of estimations, by 5 methods, of 

 water absorbed from alimentary canal (Baldes and Smirk, '34). B and C, estimations 

 of water disappeared from stomach, by methylene blue volume remaining (Christ, '26). 

 D, estimations of water disappeared from stomach, by glucose volume remaining (Moritz, 

 '01), points being the means of 12, 18, and 3 determinations on two subjects. E, 

 fluid aspirated from duodenum, means of 5 measurements on 5 subjects (Baird et al., 

 '24). Horizontal lines indicate the loads ingested. Mean body weights are assumed 

 to have been 65 kg. 



The equilibration diagram indicates conditions for maintenance 

 of water content in man and for recovery after disturbance of it. 

 It provides standards by which the response of water exchanges 

 by an individual, as a whole and by particular paths, may be evalu- 

 ated (§33). 



Behaviors by which men choose environments that favor main- 

 tenance of water content are well known, but no systematic studies 

 of them are available. In a general way people do things that are 



