156 APPENDIX II. 



been estimated by Kanke at about one-twelfth of 

 that in the urine ; but inasmuch as all experi- 

 ments on the subject tend to show that this alvine 

 nitrogen is, as voided, a constitutent of un-oxi- 

 dized compounds, that is, of compounds that have 

 not yielded up their force, it has no claim upon our 

 attention. 



4thly. There is still another circumstance which 

 requires to be taken into consideration before we 

 proceed to apply our three data to the solution of 

 the problem before us. It is this : Is it possible 

 that at the termination of the ascent of the Faulhorn 

 there might be a considerable quantity of the nitro- 

 genous products of decomposition retained in the 

 body ? Considering the physiological effect of the 

 retention of urea in the system, as exemplified 

 whenever the secretion of urine is interrupted, it is 

 difficult to imagine the possibility of any consider- 

 able quantity of urea being retained in the system 

 of a healthy man. It is, however, otherwise with 

 creatin, another of the products of the metamorpho- 

 sis of tissue ; for it has been repeatedly shown that 

 a muscle which has been hard worked contains 

 more creatin than one that has been at rest. Thus 

 the quantity of creatin contained in the heart of an 

 ox was found to be '14 per cent. (Gregory), and that 

 in other ox-flesh only *06 per cent. (Staedeler). Now 

 the muscles which extend the leg in walking, and 

 which do the essential work in ascending, have been 

 estimated by Weber to weigh in both legs 5*8 kilo- 

 grams, and if we assume that before the ascent these 

 muscles contained -06 per cent, of creatin, whilst 



