94 INFLUENCE OF FOOD PRESERVATIVES ON HEALTH. 



weight. As has already been noted in the general discussion, this 

 tendency is evidently due to the impairment of the health of the sub- 

 jects during Series II, partly perhaps as a result of the administration 

 of the preservative but largely due to influenza and grippe. There 

 was a gain of weight of 750 grams during the supplementary preserva- 

 tive period of this experiment, during which the preservative was 

 administered in increasing doses for a period of six days. This con- 

 tradictory evidence is to be expected from the condition of the sub- 

 jects during Series II. 



In Series III the average weight of the body of the subjects during 

 the fore period is 67.03 kilograms, during the preservative period 

 66.53, and during the after period 66.47. In this series there is a 

 marked tendency to lose weight during the preservative period, the 

 average loss being exactly 500 grams. During the after period there 

 is a slight additional loss of weight, amounting to an average of 60 

 grams, but it is evident that the tendency to lose weight is checked by 

 the withdrawal of the preservative. 



In Series IV the average body weight of the subjects during the 

 fore period is 64.39 kilograms, during the preservative period 63.66, 

 and during the after period 63.16. It is seen that there is an average 

 loss of weight during the preservative period of 730 grams, and an 

 additional loss of 500 grams during the after period. This tendency 

 to continued loss in weight is doubtless partly due, during the after 

 period, to a general impairment of the health, due largely to the influ- 

 ence of influenza and grippe. 



The average weight of the men during the fore period of Series V 

 is 67.64 kilograms, during the preservative period 66.77, and during 

 the after period 65.93. The mean loss of weight during the preserva- 

 tive period is 870 grams. This loss is continued in a marked degree 

 also during the after period, as has already been fully noted, the mean 

 loss during the after period amounting to 840 grams. This large 

 mean decrease is particularly due to the condition of No. 6 and No. 5, 

 neither of whom responded promptly to any effort toward recovery of 

 the normal state after the withdrawal of the preservative, but contin- 

 ued in a poor physical state during the entire after period. 



Combining the data for all the series, by periods, the following aver- 

 age daily weights are shown: 



Kilos. 



Fore periods 66. 14 



Preservative periods 65. 46 



After periods 65. 1 1 



A general inspection of these data shows a strong tendency to a loss 

 of weight during the administration of the preservative in each of the 

 series. In Series I and III this tendency is checked by the withdrawal 

 of the preservative, as indicated by the data for the after period, a 



