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EUGENE F. DU BOIS 



servers have since confirmed the fact that, the nitrogen elimination is much 

 higher than the intake. This is well demonstrated in the case of C. B., pub- 

 lished by von Leyden and Klemperer(&) and by the cases Morris S. and 

 Karl S. studied by Coleman and Du Bois(fc). The results in these three 

 cases are shown graphically in Figures 8, 9 and 10. C. B. was excreting 

 about 18 grams of nitrogen daily on an intake of 3 to 7 grams during the 

 first three days of the experiment, Karl S. was excreting 21 to 24 grams on 

 an intake of 5 to 13 grams during his first four days. In some cases the 



Fig. 10. Karl S. Temperature and body weight. Food nitrogen, continuous 

 line; excreta nitrogen, dotted line. The columns at base represent calories in food. 

 Protein calories crossed diagonals, fat calories blank, carbohydrate calories vertical 

 lines. Dot-dash line represents the estimated heat production in calories for twenty- 

 four hours, dashes being placed on the days of the calorimeter observations. Note 

 the negative balance during the last days of the fever when the patient was receiv- 

 ing in food more calories than the estimated heat production. (Coleman and Du Bois. 

 1915.) 



nitrogen elimination rises 5 to 10 grams higher than the above figures. 

 The negative nitrogen balance persists until the patient is able to take an 

 amount of food which has a caloric content greatly in excess of his heat 

 production. As a rule this does not happen until convalescence has been 

 well established. If a typhoid patient loses 8 to 10 grams of nitrogen a 

 day this represents the destruction of the equivalent of more than 200 

 grams of muscle substance daily. 



Von Leyden and Klemperer demonstrated in the case of C. B. that 

 they could diminish the nitrogen loss by giving large amounts of protein 

 in the food or by giving calories in the form of fat and carbohydrate. 



