BORIC ACID AND BORAX. 139 



during a time of profound disturbance of the digestive functions, it 

 would appear that the administration of the preservatives tended to 

 decrease the absorption of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, fat, and calories. 



No. 6L. M. S. 



No. 6 was ill during the first part of the preservative period and 

 received no boric acid. The data in his case are therefore of no com- 

 parative value. They are inserted, however, as a record of value in 

 respect of the principles of nutrition. 



SUMMARY. 



For comparative purposes the summary includes the data of only 

 four of the six members of the table, as the data in the case of the other 

 two are so imperfect as to be unsuitable for comparative purposes. 



Comparing the data for the four members of the table for the whole 

 series (viz, Nos. 1, 3, 4, and 5), we find that the average weight of the 

 moist feces per day in the fore period is 121 .8 grams, and of the dry feces 

 26 grams, for the preservative period 124.8 and 24.7, and for the after 

 period 116.3 and 23.7. It is seen from these data that there is a pro- 

 gressive diminution in the quantity of dry feces voided during the 

 series. There is also a slight increase in the percentage of water in 

 the feces during the administration of the boric acid. This indicates a 

 tendency on the part of the boric acid to increase the exudations from 

 the membranes of the intestines. The diminished quantity of the food, 

 due doubtless to an interference with the appetite by reason of the 

 administration of the boric acid, apparently is the cause of the dimin- 

 ished quantity of dry feces. In respect of the percentage of the nitrogen 

 eliminated it is found that in the fore period 8.3 per cent of the total 

 nitrogen in the food appears in the feces, during the preservative 

 period 8.4 per cent, and during the after period 7.3 per cent. The 

 general influence of the preservative, therefore, is to diminish slightly 

 the percentage of nitrogen absorbed. There is an apparent recoil from 

 this depression during the after period, when the percentage of nitrogen 

 absorbed is considerably greater than in the fore period, and this in 

 spite of the fact that a larger quantity of nitrogen is consumed in the 

 food than in the fore period. The general tendency in regard to the 

 nitrogenous food is first to diminish the quantity taken in the food and 

 also to diminish the percentage eliminated. This effect is not very 

 marked, but is still evident ^hen all the data are considered as a whole. 

 In regard to the phosphoric acid it is seen that 34 per cent of the total 

 amount in the food appears in the feces in the fore period, 32.1 per 

 cent in the preservative period, and 33.2 per cent in the after period. 

 In this instance the effect of the preservative appears to be to increase 

 the percentage of phosphoric acid absorbed. There is a tendency also 

 in the after period to return to the conditions prevailing during the 



