526 INFLUENCE OF FOOD PKESEEVATIVES ON HEALTH. 



The percentage of water in the after period is slightly greater than in 

 the preservative period but the weight is slightly less, but it is still 

 greater than in the fore period. In No. 10 there is almost no differ- 

 ence in the percentage of water in the preservative period, but there 

 is a marked decrease in the weight of the dry feces. In the after 

 period there is a slight decrease in the percentage of water and a 

 marked increase in the weight of the dry feces. No. 11 shows a marked 

 increase in the percentage of water in the feces in the preservative 

 period and a slight decrease in the weight of the dry feces. In the 

 after period there is a smaller percentage of water in the feces than 

 in the preservative period, and also a marked decrease in the weight 

 of the dr}^ feces. In No. 12 the percentage of water in the feces in 

 the preservative period is slightly increased, but the dry weight of 

 the feces very markedly diminishes. There is a decided decrease 

 in the percentage of moisture in the after period, but a slight increase 

 in the weight of the dry feces. 



The summary for the nine men who can be compared throughout 

 the series shows that the average daily weight of moist feces during 

 the fore period is 89 grams and of the dry feces 22 grams, and the 

 percentage of water therein 75.61. For the preservative period the 

 average weight of the moist feces is 75 grams, the average weight of 

 the dry feces 20 grams, and the percentage of moisture 73.83. These 

 data show that the ad minist ration of the preservative has a distinct 

 tendency to diminish both the percentage of water in the feces and 

 also the quantity of dry feces excreted. 



For the after period the average weight of the moist feces is 79 

 grams, the average weight of the dry feces 20 grams, and the percent- 

 age of moisture 74.12. The effect of the preservative therefore is to 

 diminish the total quantity of the feces both wet and dry, the average 

 amount of dry feces being 2 grams less during the preservative period 

 than in the fore period. In the after period the weight of dry feces 

 remains the same but there is an increase of 4 grams in the weight of 

 moist feces, which is only 10 grams less than in the fore period. In 

 general there appears to be a distinct influence of the preservative to 

 diminish the weight of the solid matter excreted in the feces and also 

 a tendency to decrease the quantitv' of water therein. While the latter 

 effect is not marked, it is evident that salicylic acid in the quantities 

 administered does not produce any tendency to diarrhea but rather 

 the opposite effect. 



