154 SWINE 



his bank account to supply the deficiency. But knowing 

 that his bank account under these conditions will eventu- 

 ally become obliterated, he will, or at least he should, 

 gradually accustom himself to living less extravagantly, 

 finally reaching an equilibrium at $75 per month. This 

 then will eliminate the 'factor that is drawing upon his 

 bank account, and if he is of an economical disposition, 

 he will reduce his living to a little less than $75 per 

 month, again enabling him to add to his store in the 

 bank. The amount he can save, however, will not be as 

 great as it was at the beginning of the period when his 

 salary was increased from $50 to $75 per month, because 

 it is a difficult matter to reduce the expense of living, 

 after it has once been set up, to the point where it was be- 

 fore such extravagant habits were learned. If now his 

 salary is reduced to $50 per month, or the point at which 

 he started, the same process of drawing on his bank ac- 

 count to supply the deficiency will be repeated, and it 

 will be with exceedingly great difficulty that it will be 

 possible for this man to return. to his former basis and 

 be able to lay up any of his salary at this time. 



The same thing apparently takes place in the protein 

 metabolism of the pig. The pig being accustomed to met- 

 abolize for maintenance and waste .6 pound of protein 

 per day, which is received in its ration, will, when this is 

 reduced to a smaller quantity, use more for these purposes 

 than is received and consequently will reduce its store of 

 protein tissue in the body. However, after being fed a 

 reduced quantity for some time, this factor of waste is 

 gradually reduced, the pig again reaching a point of nitro- 

 gen equilibrium on the reduced quantity of feed. This 

 may be continued as in the case we have used, but under 

 normal conditions it will never be possible to bring the 



