FINAL PRODUCTS. 



417 



absorbed in these experiments (which were prolonged for twelve 

 days) only 50*8 parts passed into the urine. 



The following observation, in reference to the excretion of 

 nitrogen, was made by myself, * on my own person : during a 

 purely animal diet (eggs), I took daily on an average 30*3 grammes 

 of nitrogen, and discharged 24*4 grammes by the urine ; hence 

 five-sixths of the absorbed nitrogen were again given off through 

 the kidneys. 



The best investigation of the statistico-chemical relations of the 

 quantitative metamorphosis of matter in the animal organism, which 

 has as yet been made, is due to Barral,f who, however, has merely 

 taken into account the elements of nutrition and of the excretions. 

 He made five series of observations, two on himself, (when at the 

 age of twenty-nine years, the one in winter and the other in 

 summer) one upon a boy aged six years, the fourth upon a man 

 whose age was fifty-nine years, and the fifth upon a woman aged 

 thirty-two years. The combined results of this investigation were 

 as follows: 



For a healthy adult man the egesta, corresponding to 100 

 grammes of ingesta (that is to say, 73*8 grammes of food, in which 

 there were 18*56 parts of solid matters and 55*24 parts of water, 

 and 26*2 parts of oxygen), would be distributed in the following 

 manner, namely: 34*95 grammes of water and 30*55 grammes of 

 carbonic acid would be eliminated by the lungs and skin, 33*95 



* Journ. f. pr. Ch. Bd. 27, S. 258. 



t Compt. rend. T. 27, p. 361, and Ann. de Chim. et de Phys. 3 Sr., T. 25, 

 p. 129-171. 



VOL. III. 2 E 



