474 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



more or less quantity in the feces, and it is possible to identify fragments 

 from any vegetable diet consumed. 



A very complete review of the literature of the subject is given. 



The excretion of flesh in human feces and an attempt to deter- 

 mine its amount, F. Kermaunee (Ztschr. Biol, 35, No. 3, pp. 316-334). — 

 By somewhat similar methods to those noted in the preceding abstract 

 the author studied the composition of the feces in a number of cases 

 where the subjects consumed a meat diet. From the results of his 

 microscopic examinations he devised a method for determining the 

 amount of nitrogen in the feces due to undigested flesh. 



The feces were found to contain cells from the muscular tissue of the 

 meat eaten, but the amount of such material was sufficient to account 

 for only a small part of the nitrogen present; that is, the nitrogen of 

 the feces is largely due to nitrogenous metabolic products excreted by 

 the intestines. The author believes that when meat is consumed under 

 ordinary conditions in a mixed diet it always furnishes a portion of the 

 nitrogen of the feces, but that the amount varies and can not be even 

 approximately expressed by average figures. 



The literature of the subject is reviewed by the author. 



Intestinal excretion of nitrogen, J. Tsuboi {Ztschr. Biol, 35, No. 

 1, pp. 68-93). — The author made 3 experiments with a dog to deter- 

 mine the amount of metabolic products in the feces. In the first ex- 

 periment the dog received no food; in the second experiment the daily 

 ration consisted of a cake made from 70 gm. starch, 50 gm. fat, and 12 

 gm. sugar; and in the third experiment a cake made from 200 gm. starch, 

 80 gm. fat, and 25 gm. sugar. The feces were separated by feeding 

 bones. The nitrogen, fat, and ash in the feces were determined, and in 

 the second and third experiments the starch also. The results of the 

 experiments are briefly summarized as follows : 



Average dry matter in food and dry matter and nutrients in feces per day. 



First experiment. . 

 Second experiment 

 Third experiment . 



Duration 

 of experi- 

 ment. 



In food. 



Days. 



Dry mat- 

 ter. 



Grams. 





 132 

 305 



In feces. 



Dr L™ at ' Nitrogen. Fat. Starch. Ash 



Grams. 



2.64 

 5.81 

 12.92 



0. 14 

 .24 



.57 



Grams. 



0.67 

 1.64 

 1.43 



<i minx. 







0.57 



3.60 



Grams. 



0.61 



.76 



1.04 



The author drew the following conclusions : The consumption of nitro- 

 gen-free food increased the excretion of nitrogen in the feces, the increase 

 being proportional to the amount consumed. When nitrogen free food 

 was consumed the nitrogen excretion in the feces was as large as other 

 investigators have found when a considerable amount of meat was con- 

 sumed. Therefore, when either animal food or a number of vegetable 

 foods are consumed the nitrogen in the feces must be derived largely 

 from metabolic products. The fat and starch were almost completely 





