CONCERNING LOW PROTEIN DIETARIES 



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titles of protein will be absorbed by each individual i.e., the 

 nitrogen lost to the body in the faeces will be nearly the same in 

 all cases. The following are the results shown by these men : 



That is, during the first period, when 494 grammes of nitrogen 

 were ingested by each individual, the nitrogen of the faeces was 

 found to vary from 445 to 12-10 grammes. In the second period, 

 with an intake of 66-7 grammes of nitrogen, the faecal nitrogen 

 varied from 7-01 to 16-15 grammes, and in the third period from 

 7-79 to 11-46 grammes, when the intake was 43-1 grammes of 

 nitrogen. 



These are certainly most surprising results, and entirely at 

 variance with what would be expected to be the case with healthy 

 men living on the same dietary. No such variations are usually 

 met with under normal conditions, and, unless some fallacy has 

 crept in during the isolation of the faeces for the stated periods, 

 it is impossible to understand how such results were obtained. 

 Benedict offers the explanation that the variations in digesti- 

 bility of the same diet exhibited by the several individuals may 

 possibly be due to the abnormally low protein intake having 

 resulted in some disturbance of the alimentary tract, thus affect- 

 ing its power of absorbing protein or the products of its tryptic 

 digestion. Such a disturbance has been observed in animal 

 experiments when the protein of the diet had been allowed to 

 fall to a low level. 



The figures shown above are of very great interest, and merit 

 closer examination. From them the following variations in the 

 absorption of protein by the different individuals on the same 

 diet are obtained for the three periods : 



