132 INFLUENCE OF FOOD PRESERVATIVES ON HEALTH. 



grams, during the preservative period 148.2, and during the after 

 period 135.4. The average percentage of water in the feces of the 

 fore period is 79.86, of the preservative period 81.44, and of the after 

 period 79. 10. The average weight of dry feces during the fore period 

 is 25.3, during the preservative period 27.5, and during the after 

 period 28.3. The average percentage of nitrogen eliminated in the 

 feces during the fore period is 8.9, during the preservative period 9.6, 

 and during the after period 9.5. The average percentage of phos- 

 phoric acid eliminated in the feces during the fore period is 35.1, dur- 

 ing the preservative period 34.1, and during the after period 35.3. 



The combined data show that the first eifect of the preservative upon 

 the composition of the feces is to increase slightly the percentage of 

 water therein. There is also a tendency equally well manifested in 

 this series to increase slightly the total weight of the dry matter 

 occurring in the feces, and this tendency is continued during the after 

 period, as might be expected. There is also a slight tendency to 

 decrease the quantity of the nitrogenous elements of the food absorbed 

 from the alimentary canal, and this tendency is also manifest during 

 the after period. There is a slight tendency, on the other hand, to 

 increase the amount of phosphoric acid absorbed from the alimentary 

 canal. 



A general review of the data shows that while there is a distinct 

 effect produced by the preservative upon the composition of the feces 

 it is not uniform among all the subjects. The effects are contradictory 

 in some instances in the case of different subjects. The general ten- 

 dency, however, to increase the quantity of water in the feces, to 

 decrease the amount of nitrogenous elements absorbed from the ali- 

 mentary canal, and to increase the amount of the phosphatic elements 

 absorbed from the alimentary canal appears fairly well established for 

 Series I. 



SERIES II. 



The data in this series are incomplete in many cases and imperfect 

 in others, due to the illness (from other causes than that traceable to 

 the administration of the preservative) of some members of the class 

 during the progress of the observations. In so far as they were 

 observed, the data are recorded in the balance sheets. 



jVo. 7E. R. M. 



The percentage of nitrogen excreted in the feces in the fore period 

 for No. 7 is 12.2, and for the preservative period 13.8. There are, 

 however, marked variations in the preservative subperiods, the percent- 

 age of nitrogen excreted during the first subperiod rising to 18.4. Of 

 the phosphoric acid 44.2 per cent is excreted in the feces during the 

 fore period, and 44 per cent as a mean of the preservative period, Of 



