SIXTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 47 



in the floating, respectively, 209 and 13.4 per cent., or, on the 

 average, 17.3 per cent, of their original weight. By the same 

 estimates the water-free substance in the too grams of flesh be- 

 fore the floating, weighed, on the averrge, 22.1 grams, while that 

 of the same flesh after floating weighed only 20.6 grams making 

 a loss of 1.5 grams or 6.6 per cent, of the 22.1 grams which the 

 water-free substance weighed before dialysis. The main re- 

 sults of the two experiments thus computed, may be stated as 

 follows: — 



In the "floating" of 100 grams of flesh (body) of the oysters: 



The Weight of Before Dialysis. After Dialysis. 



Water rose from 77-9 grams to 96.6 grams. 



Water-free substance fell from .. 22.1 " " 20.6 



Whole flesh rose from loo.o " "117. 2 



Protein was assumed to remain 



the same 10.5 " " 10.5 



F"at (ether extract) fell from 2.5 " " 2.3 



Carbohydrates &c., fell from 6.9 " " 6.0 



Mineral salts (ash) fell from 2.2 " " 1.8 



22.1 20.6 



Estimating the increase or decrease of weight of each con- 

 stituent in per cent, of its weight before floating : — 



Per cent of 

 original weight. 



The water gained 23.9 



The water-free substance lost 6.6 



The whole flesh (body) gained 17.3 



The protein was assumed to neither gain nor lose. 



The fat lost 8.8 



The carbohydrates, &c., lost i 2.5 



The mineral salts lost 15.5 



In brief, according to these computations, the flesh lost be- 

 tween one-sixth and one-seventh of its mineral salts, one-eighth 

 of its carbohydrates, and one-twelfth of its fats, but gained 

 enough water to make up this loss and to increase its whole 

 weight, by an amount equal to from one-seventh to one-fifth of 

 the original weight. 



These estimates are based on the assumptit)ii lliat llie amount 



