administration of benzole acid in any form can only be regarded as 

 an unnecessary burden. 



COMPOSITION OF THE FECES. 



In the case of the young men who received benzoic acid a slight 

 increase in the weight of the moist feces is shown in the preservative 

 period, together with a slight decrease in the percentage of moisture 

 therein and, of course, a corresponding increase in the weight of the 

 dry feces. In the after period there is a marked loss in the weight of 

 the moist feces and a continued diminution in the percentage of 

 moisture, while the weight of the dry feces is slightly decreased, 

 returning to the amount found in the fore period. These data show 

 that the effect of the benzoic acid was to inhibit slightly the absorp- 

 tion of food material from the alimentary canal and thus to increase 

 the quantity of feces excreted. 



In the case of the } 7 oung men receiving the benzoate of soda the 

 data show a slight increase in the weight of the moist feces, and also 

 of the percentage of moisture therein, while the amount of dry feces 

 excreted is the same as in the fore period. In the after period there 

 is a marked increase in the weight of the moist feces, with little 

 change in the water content, and a correspondingly marked increase 

 in the weight of the dry feces excreted. The benzoate of soda, there- 

 fore, appears to have had no immediate effect upon the absorption 

 from the alimentary canal, but upon the withdrawal of the drug a 

 diminished absorption took place. This is another indication of the 

 retarded effect of the benzoate of soda. In almost every instance 

 the data submitted show that the effect of the benzoate of soda 

 upon the system is less marked and is produced more tardily than 

 in the case of the benzoic acid. These data do not show that the 

 preservative has produced any marked effect of a systematic char- 

 acter upon the weight and water content of the feces. The average 

 weight of dry feces per man per day increased very slightly (1 gram) 

 in the preservative period in the case of those receiving benzoic acid, 

 and 3 grams in the after period in the case of the six men who re- 

 ceived benzoate of soda. While these data are not sufficiently marked 

 to demonstrate a distinct effect produced by the preservative, still the 

 small average increase in the feces in connection with the loss of 

 body weight would indicate a tendency on the part of the preservative 

 to decrease assimilation. 



THE URINE. 



VOLUME, SPECIFIC GRAVITY, AND TOTAL SOLIDS. 



The summary of the data for the men receiving benzoic acid shows 

 a very slight decrease in the volume of the urine with a slight increase 



[Cir. 39] 



