102 INFLUENCE OF FOOD PKESEKVATIVES ON HEALTH. 



about ten days immediately following the cessation of the administra- 

 tion of the preservative is concerned. This is not a matter of surprise 

 when it is remembered that it requires from three to five days or 

 longer after the administration ceases to eliminate the boric acid which 

 has been accumulated in the system. Further than this, the condi- 

 tions produced by the administration of the preservative which have 

 caused the loss of weight are not at once removed. For these reasons 

 the failure to regain the lost weight during the after period can not 

 be cited as satisfactory evidence to show that the loss of weight during 

 the preservative period was not due to the administration of the pre- 

 servative in question. On the other hand, the continued loss of weight 

 during this brief after period appears ^^je strong corroborative testi- 

 mony showing the tendency of the pi^^fcative to reduce the weight 

 of the body. Nor should the fact that^Mfe are many contradictory 

 data established in the course of the observations be cited as a reason 

 for diminished confidence in the general results. The character of the 

 environment which almost necessarily produces these discordant data 

 has been sufficiently set forth. It therefore appears to be justifiable 

 to accept these general expressions of the average data as reasonably 

 correct and sufficiently established to warrant the conclusion derived 

 therefrom. The further fact that the losses in weight which are noted 

 are much less than those which have been pointed out by some other 

 observers should not be allowed to throw discredit upon the general 

 value of the work. The conditions of experiment vary so in different 

 countries and with different experimenters that the reaching of results 

 of different magnitude or even of results of opposite character should 

 not cast discredit upon the investigation. 



RATIO OF FOOD WEIGHT TO BODY WEIGHT. 



The weight of food consumed during each day and its ratio to the 

 weight of the body form one factor in determining the effect of any 

 added preservative upon the digestion. This index alone would be of 

 little value, but taken in connection with the others which have been 

 obtained it is useful. This ratio is also of interest in connection with 

 the general subject of nutrition, as determining the quantity of food 

 consumed in proportion to the weight of the body, apart from the 

 effect of the preservative. 



Table XIII gives the quantities of food consumed by Nos. 1 to 6, 

 inclusive, the subjects under examination during the fore period 

 of Series I, from December 8 to December 22, 1902. The daily 

 weight of each food is given in detail, the average of each kind of 

 food for the period, and the ratio for each kind of food for the period 

 under observation. The total weight of food consumed for the period 

 is also given in each case, as well as the ratio of that weight to the 

 average weight of the body for the time covered. The ratio in each 



