BORIC ACID AND BORAX. 87 



BODY WEIGHTS. 

 VARIATIONS IN BODY WEIGHTS. 



It is evident that any serious interference with the digestive func- 

 tions would eventually have an effect in either increasing or decreasing 

 the weight of the body. If under the administration of the preserv- 

 ative the digestive functions were more active and larger quantities 

 of the nutritive elements of the food were absorbed and assimilated, 

 the body weight would increase. In like manner, if the preservative, 

 upon entering the circulation, exerted a restraining force on the break- 

 ing down of tissues already formed while not seriously interfering 

 with the formation of new tissues, an increase in body weight would 

 take place. On the other hand, if the preservative should interfere 

 with the processes of digestion in the way of restricting or limiting the 

 action of the digestive enzymes, or should hasten the breaking down 

 of old tissues without materially increasing the rate of formation of 

 new, there would be a loss in body weight. In order to determine 

 the changes in weight, as has already been intimated, the daily weight 

 of the body, naked, was ascertained before dinner. These daily 

 weights have been combined into one expression for each individual, 

 representing the whole of the time covered by the fore period, the 

 preservative period, and the after period, respectively. These com- 

 bined weights are given in Tables XI and XII (pp. 95, 96), and they 

 are also used in connection with the daily weights in the construction 

 of a graphic representation of changes in weight. 



SERIES I. 



In Series I it is seen in the case of No. 1 that the average weight for 

 the fore period is 71.62 kilograms, for the preservative period 71.37 

 kilograms, and for the after period 71.64 kilograms. The mean 

 weight for the three periods is 71.54 kilograms. In this case the 

 change in weight is not marked, but there is an apparent tendency on 

 the part of the preservative to diminish the body weight. 



The average weight of No. 2 for the fore period is 71.89 kilograms, 

 for the preservative period 71, and for the after period 70.87, the aver- 

 age weight for the whole series being 71.25 kilograms. In this case 

 there is again a tendency manifest on the part of the preservative to 

 diminish the body weight, but in a more marked degree than in the 

 case of No. 1, and there is no tendency to recuperate this loss of weight 

 after the preservative has fieen withdrawn. On the other hand, during 

 the after period there is a still further (although slight) decrease in 

 weight. 



The data for No. 3 show his average weight in the fore period to be 

 55.22 kilograms, in the preservative period 54.61, and in the after 

 period 54.73, the mean for the whole series being 54.85. In this 



