Nutrition Investigations. 



353 



with human subjects. In these, the undigested hemicelluloses gave 

 frequently a pecuHar, wax-like consistency, especially noticeable with 

 Limu Huna in the experiment recorded,^ and in another not reported, 

 because the faeces for part of the time were lost. In the experiment 

 with Limu Akiaki (No. 12),^ the galactan was excreted after the first 

 day's feeding, in a tough mass almost impossible to break up with a 



EXP. 2 



EXP. 1 



I. 



The Influence of Irish Moss upon the Mass of the Faeces. 



A. Fore Period: 3 Days on a Cellulose-free Diet. 



B. Mid Period: 3 Days on a Cellulose-free Diet to Which 15 grams of 



Irish Mops were Added Daily. 



C. After Period: 3 Days of a Cellulose-free Diet. 



spatula. That of the second day was not excreted till the third 

 day after feeding, the subject being inclined to constipation. It seems 

 likely that the high coefficient of digestibility is due to this fact, or 

 else to the method of determination, which is not altogether satisfac- 

 tory, in view of the complexity of the products of hydrolysis, the dan- 

 ger of decomposing a part of the sugar from the easily inverted 

 polysaccharides by the long boiling necessary for the more resistant, 

 and the great difference in reducing power of the sugars so produced. 



The Digestibility of Mannan. 



In four experiments, the commercial salep powder (containing 19 

 per cent mannan and 26 per cent starch) was administered; in the 

 others, pure mannan prepared from the Orchis tubers. The results 

 of seven trials are tabulated on the following pages. 



1 Of. p. 345. 



