EFFECTS OF THIRST, ETC., ON EMYS S ERR AT A. 



57 



The altered materials, which are no longer fit for nutrition or the formation of 

 structure, are eliminated by the lungs and kidneys. The loss of weight by an 

 animal during starvation and thirst should, therefore, correspond entirely with 

 the physical and chemical changes of its organic elements, whatever may be the 

 product of these changes, heat, nervous force, or muscular power. 



This principle was strikingly verified by the results of these experiments. 



The restless females lost from ^ T V «th to 3 ^igth of their weight hourly, whilst 

 the quiet, composed, indolent male lost j^jth of its weight hourly. 



The waste of the blood and tissues was twice as rapid in the females, which 

 corresponds to their greater exertions of muscular and nervous power. 



Many of the females grew weak and died in two or three weeks, whilst this male 

 remained active and fierce, apparently without any great diminution of strength 

 and vitality during forty-nine days of starvation and thirst. That this endurance 

 was not due to the peculiar constitution of this male, is proved by a reference to 

 the experiments with the salt-water terrapins (Emys terrapin). Those that had 

 deposited their eggs before their capture lived for fifty or sixty days, and their loss 

 of weight corresponded with that of the male Emys serrata. 



The amount of blood obtained without any difficulty, was 500 grains. 



By comparing this with the amount obtained from females, under different periods 

 of starvation and thirst, we see that the blood was consumed to a much less extent 

 in the male. 



Specific gravity of its blood 

 Solid constituents in 1000 parts of blood 

 " " " serum 



" in scrum of 1000 parts of blood 



Water in 1000 parts of blood 

 " " serum 



1000 parts of blood contained — 



Water ..... 

 Blood-corpuscles (dried organic constituents) 

 Albumen, fatty and extractive matter 

 Fibrin ..... 

 Fixed saline constituents 



1000 parts of blood contained — 



Moist blood-corpuscles 387.36 -. 



(Solid constituents 



Liquor sanguinis 



612.64 -[^f " • ' 

 (Solid constituents 



1048.7 

 199.06 

 108.90 



97.88 

 800.94 

 891.10 



800.94 



92.29 



93.38 



4.34 



9.05 



290.52 



96.84 



510.42 



102.22 



Solid constituents in 500 grains of blood 



" serum of 500 grains of blood 



500 grains of blood contained — 



Water ..... 

 Blood-corpuscles (dried organic constituents) 

 Albumen, fatty and extractive matter 

 Fibrin ..... 

 Fixed saline constituents 

 8 



99 53 

 4S.94 



400.47 



46.15 



46.69 



2.17 



4.52 



