122 INFLUENCE OF FOOD PKESERVATIVES ON HEALTH. 



Passing to the consideration of the effect of the preservative upon 

 the ratio of food weight to body weight, Tables XIII-XVI1 disclose 

 the following facts: 



The highest ratio in the fore period was found in the case of No. 3, 

 namely, 5.33, and the lowest in the case of No. 6, namely, 3.41. Inas- 

 much as No. 6, however, was absent from one meal, this number is not 

 to be considered as normal. By combining the total quantity of food 

 consumed by all six members and dividing by the number of persons, 

 it is found that 36,311 grams is the average per man for the fourteen- 

 day period. Dividing again by 61.76 kilograms, the average weight 

 of the subjects for the period, the ratio of 58.80 appears for the four- 

 teen days. This gives 4.20 as the mean daily ratio of food to body 

 weight per man for the fore period. 



For the preservative subperiod during which 1 gram of boric acid 

 was given the highest ratio is found for No. 4, namely, 5.05, and the 

 lowest for No. 6, namely, 3.30. The mean ratio for the period is 4.19, 

 and the mean weight of the body is 61.36. 



For the subperiod during which 2 grams of boric acid were given the 

 highest ratio is found for No. 5, namely, 5.25, and the lowest for No. 6, 

 namely, 3.58. The mean ratio for this period is 4.41, and the mean 

 body weight is 61.19. 



For the subperiod during which 3 grams of boric acid were adminis- 

 tered the highest ratio is found in the case of No. 5, namely, 4.69, and 

 the lowest in the case of No. 1, namely, 3.76. The mean ratio is 4.08, 

 and the mean body weight is 61.04. 



For the after period, extending over nine days, the highest ratio is 

 found in the case of No. 3, namely, 4.73, and the lowest in the case of 

 No. 1, namely, 3.62. The mean ratio for the period is 4.21, and the 

 mean weight of the body is 61.23. 



A comparative view of these mean ratios for the periods mentioned 

 is shown in the following tabular statement: 







TABLE XVIII. Average daily ratio of weight of food to weight of body in Series I, by 



periods. 



It will be noted from the above that the total weight of food con- 

 sumed in proportion to the weight of the body changes very little 

 from one period to another. There was, as is noticed, a tendency to 



