C. REID. 147 



The amount of sugar formed by 0'2 c.c. blood from 1 c.c. of a O'l per cent, 

 solution of starch expressed in milligrammes is taken as an index of the 

 diastatic activity of the blood. The number obtained multiplied by 100 to 

 displace the decimal point is used as the number indicating the diastatic 

 activity of the blood. 



VAEIATIONS IN THE TWENTY-FOUE-HOURLY SPECIMENS OF URINE. 



With regard to 24-hourly specimens of urine, considerable variations were 

 found from day to day under apparently constant conditions, the variations 

 tending to be greater in the case of those individuals whose urine had a high 

 diastatic activity. 



Table I gives the variations (in Wohlgemuth units) obtained in a number 

 of healthy individuals, specimens of the total urine passed in the 24 hours 

 being examined. 



J. R— 

 D. M— 

 C. G— 

 G. M— 



F. M— 

 R— 



Table I. 



5-4, 4-5, 6, 6, 3, 3*5, 3-8. 

 9-1, 6, 10, 10, 10, 9. 

 7-5, 9-7, 11, 8. 



20-8, 16-3, 16, 12-5, 15-4, 11-8, 13-2, 136, 10. 

 7-2, 8-8, 6-5, 5-2, 5-7, 7-2, 5-8, 7-0, 5'5. 

 19, 19, 20, 18-2, 15-4, 22-2, 22, 12-5, 22, 21, 16-7, 18, 12*5, 

 19, 20, 12-8. 



The diastatic activity was not always directly related to the specific 

 gravity or inversely to the average hourly rate of the secretion of urine, 

 although it was found that the 24-hourly specimens with a higher specific 

 gravity tended to have a higher diastatic value, while specimens with a lower 

 rate of secretion tended to have a higher diastatic activity. 



The total diastatic activity for the 24 hours was taken as the amount 

 of urine in c.c. multiplied by the diastatic index stated in Wohlgemuth's units. 

 This was found to give widely different numbers in different individuals. But 

 by taking a large number of observations on the same individual over a 

 considerable period, it was found that the total diastatic activity gave, in the 

 majority of cases, a number which was fairly constant. For example : 



In 9 readings on one individual, 6 gave a total diastatic content between 



26,000-30,000. 

 In 9 readings on a second individual, 6 gave a total diastatic content 



between 12,000-16,000. 

 In 10 readings on a third individual, 8 gave a total diastatic content 



between 17,000-19,500. 

 In 15 readings on a fourth individual, 12 gave a total diastatic content 

 between 13,000-16,000. 

 The remaining results of the individual cases were either above or below 

 the respective numbers, the highest number obtained being as much as 

 50 per cent, above the lowest in the same case. 



With regard to the individual specimens passed throughout the 24 hours. 



