362 



Q.U ARTERLY JOURNAL. 



rally with' the quietness or the habits of the animal. A kitten, 

 from six to ten weeks old, when supplied daily with four fluid 

 ounces of skim-milk, containing 66 grains of carbon, will increase 

 in weight, and impart to the atmosphere from SO to 110 grains of 

 carbon. 



Either of these two animals may be kept without food until they 

 give off by respiration a weight of carbon equal to 80 per cent,|i 

 and retain from 60 to 70 per cent., of that which they comprised 

 at the commencement, showing that a weight of carbon equal taj 

 40 per cent, had been secreted. The experiment may also be' 

 made with birds supplied with little or no food. A tomtit waj 

 placed under experiment without food ; the bird was violent anc' 

 restless during its imprisonment. In sixteen hours it imparted t( 

 the atmosphere 65 per cent, of carbon, when it appeared to die o:' 

 exhaustion, and retained 77 per cent of the weight of carbon i 

 originally contained ; showing a secretion of carbon in sixteei 

 hours, when under violent exertion, equal to 42 per cent. 



On making the carbon in the food, and that in the air respiret 

 by a full grown person, the basis of our calculation, we obtain re 

 suits which favor the conclusion that carbon is likewise secrete* 

 by man. Physiologists estimate the weight of carbon in the ai 

 respired by an adult at from 5,000 to 6,000 grains per diem. 

 have subjected to analysis many articles of food, and found thi 

 weight of carbon far to exceed that in the food consumed by raos 

 laboring men, who may be supposed to impart to the atmospher 

 the greatest weight of carbon. A person eating each day afte 

 the following rate, will consume 6,000 grains of carbon : 



Rump steaks 1 lb. containing 1,050 gr. carbon. 



Bread lido. " 2,830 " 



Potatoes.... 4 do. " 310 " 



Porter 2 pts. " 760 " M 



New milk.. 2 fl. oz. " 57 » inl 



Butler i oz. " 320 " .'. 



Cheese .... 1 do. " 150 " f 



Sugar 2 do. " 350 " 4*1 



Coffee 1 do. " 96 " ^| 



Tea 1 do. " 80 » 



6,003 



This weight of carbon is not more than is consumed by som 

 persons who are actively employed, but it far exceeds that in th 

 food of our laboring population ; and on comparing it with th? 

 allowed for each adult in the difierent workhouses, &c., we hav 

 in the dietary of the — 



Per Cent, of this 6,000. 



City of London Union 75 



Brentford do 50 



