518 APPENDIX. 



relations of the person ; but it is considerably influenced by bodily 

 exercise. 



The reaction is most commonly acid, but not unfrequently alka- 

 line or neutral. 



The number of observations made by Wehsarg was 27; and 

 in 17 of these cases the faeces were those of the 24 hours. 



The quantity of the daily faeces is very variable ; the mean of 

 these 17 observations being 131 grammes (or about 4'6 ounces), 

 the largest and smallest quantities being 306 and 67 '2 grammes 

 respectively. This irregularity did not seem in any way connected 

 with an excess of undigested matter. It may be laid down as a 

 general rule, that when the food passes rapidly through the intes- 

 tine, the daily quantity of the faeces is larger then when it is 

 retained for a longer time in the intestine. In proportion to the 

 rapidity with which the stools follow one another, there is a smaller 

 relative, but larger absolute amount of solid matters. There is no 

 definite relation between the amount of faeces and the bodily 

 weight; the quantity of the faeces seems rather to be connected 

 with the digestive power of the individual. 



The fseces, when in a formed or half formed state, contained 

 (taking the mean of 17 observations) 73'3g- of water and other 

 matters which were volatile at 120 C., and 26*7 of solid consti- 

 tuents; the latter varied from 17'4 to 31 '7^. 



The absolute quantity of solid matters discharged in the 24 hours 

 averages 30 grammes, the extremes being 57*2 and 16*3 grammes. 

 No safe inference can be drawn from the consistence of the 

 faeces as to the amount of water and volatile matters that they 

 contain. 



The amount of undigested matters varies very much in different 

 cases ; the mean quantity in 10 observations was 3*4 grammes, or 

 8'3%, the extremes being 8'2 grammes and 0*81 of a gramme. 



A microscopic examination always exhibits remains of the food 

 that has been taken. We commonly meet with vegetable cells and 

 hairs, and spiral vessels in abundant quantity. Muscular fibres 

 coloured yellow and corroded by the bile, but still retaining dis- 

 tinct striation, are constantly found. Wehsarg mentions, as of 

 constant occurrence, (t a finely comminuted feecal matter/ 5 which 

 appears to be granulo-cellular, but whose structure cannot be dis- 

 tinctly made out; it certainly, however, contains partially destroyed 

 epithelium. Starch is often found. Crystals of ammonio-phos- 

 phate of magnesia are always present when the evacuation is 

 neutral or alkaline. Amorphous fat is a constant constituent of 



