36 S. HATAI 



Mayer and Schaeffer call these relations ''The lipocytic coeffi- 

 cient of the tissue" and found the coefficient identical in all 

 {inimals examined when the imbibition of water was identical. 



The present investigation, as has been already stated, demon- 

 strates that the percentage of water is the index of equivalent 

 phases of chemical alteration of the entire body. Thus my own 

 investigation not only supports the views presented by Donald- 

 son, but also indirectly the views held by Mayer and Schaeffer, 

 but at the same time extends the significance of water content 

 in the living organism as represented by the mammals during 

 the life span, 



CONCLUSIONS 



The entire body of the albino rat was analysed at birth and 

 at 7, 15, 22, 28, 35, 42 and 294 days and the variations accord- 

 ing to age were determined for water and solids, and from the 

 solids for the following chemical components: protein, fat, or- 

 ganic extractives and salts. The stomach contents o " the young 

 rats fed by the mother's milk exclusively were analysed also. 

 Analysis of the stomach contents suggests that the milk of the 

 albino rat is highly concentrated and rich in fat. 



1. The percentage growth of the solids reaches nearly a maxi- 

 mum (30 per cent) w^hile the young are still nourished almost 

 entirely by the mother's milk (end of the third week). At the 

 end of 42 weeks the additional grow^th in solids is only slightly 

 over five per cent. 



2. The components of the solids show the following age varia- 

 tions : 



Protein. The protein content is highest at birth and dimin- 

 ishes gradually until the end of the lactation period, after which 

 it rises again slightly. 



Fat. The fat content rises rapidly during the lactation period, 

 after which it diminishes steadily. 



Organic extractives. The organic extractives decrease rapidly 

 tow^ards the end of the lactation period, after which there is 

 another steady increase. In general the variation in the organic 

 extractives is similar to the variation in the protein. 



