A Study of the Diet and Metabolism of Eskimos. 25 



A large number of urea determinations after the clinical method 

 elaborated by Esbach ^ were made in Greenland on the fresh urines 

 partly for guidance during the experiments and partly also for com- 

 parison with the accurate Kjeldahl determinations. The results of 

 these comparisons will be discussed in detail later. Here it is only 

 necessary to state that the agreement between the Esbach and Kjel- 

 dahl results was on the whole remarkably good. 



Of the 250 samples brought to Copenhagen from Greenland and 

 sent on to America 2 were broken during the transport but the ni- 

 trogen could without appreciable error be calculated from the corre- 

 sponding Esbach determinations. 



The feces were voided in jars of 1 liter which could be closed her- 

 metically. They were partially dried at 110° for 24 hours in Green- 

 land and sent in this state. 



We attempted separation of feces from the different diets em- 

 ployed by means of raisin and fig seeds, but owing to our lack of ex- 

 perience and some want of forethought we gave these fruits too often 

 and at too short intervals, with the result that both kinds of seeds 

 were present in a number of the feces. 



Nevertheless we have succeeded in most cases in roughly sepa- 

 rating the feces belonging to the different diets and are able there- 

 fore to draw certain, though not very precise, conclusions with regard 

 to the utilization of the different diets. 



Determinations have been made of the nitrogen, heat of com- 

 bustion, crude fat and total ether extract after splitting up of the 

 soaps with hydrochloric acid and alcohol. These last determinations 

 show the quantities of fatty acids present as such and in combina- 

 tions as soaps. 



General review of experiments made. 



Exp. I. Two female subjects M. D. age 32, weight 58,5 kg. and 

 C. W. age 28, weight 63.6 kg. Both subjects were in perfect health. 

 The experiment began on the ^"/7 at 12 md. and was concluded on 

 the ^^/7 at 2 p. m. The subjects were fed on the first day on non ni- 

 trogenous food. Thereupon for two days almost exclusively on meat 

 of which the amounts consumed by both were 2700 gr. on the first 

 day and 2300 gr. on the second. On the last day they were again 

 fed chiefly on carbohydrate. The determinations of respiratory ex- 

 change made during this experiment are untrustworthy and have 

 not been included. During the exp. the subjects did a small amount 

 of work chiefly sewing. Their weights at the end of the exp. were 

 58.9 kg. and 63.4 kg. respectively. 



1 We did not use the baroscope and Esbachs tables but determined pres- 

 sure and temperature in the ordinary way and calculated the weight of nitrogen 

 in the samples. 



