BORIC ACID AND BORAX. 229 



in order to justify its use, that some positive evidence be produced to 

 show that this disturbance of a normal condition is of a beneficial 

 nature. 



FAT. 

 BALANCE. 



This balance has been calculated for Series II to V, inclusive, no data 

 having been obtained in Series 1. (See Tables LXVII-LXXV.) The 

 fat balance, of course, is unsatisfactory because of the inability to get 

 meat with a constant percentage of fat. The amount of fat exhibited 

 in the daily rations, therefore, varied considerably, and likewise in 

 the periodic rations. For this reason the expression of the fat balance 

 for each period may not always coincide with the percentage of fat 

 eliminated. 



SERIES II. 



For the fore period, January 19-27, inclusive, the average daily fat 

 balance per man for Nos. 7, 10, and 12 is 138.34 grams; for the first 

 preservative subperiod, January 29-31, inclusive, 134.88; for the sec- 

 ond subperiod, February 1-4, inclusive, 126.63; for the first and second 

 subperiods together, January 28 to February 4, inclusive, 130.38. 

 The balance for the third preservative subperiod is, in the case of 

 No. 12, subject to the same criticism as has already been made, 

 namely, that during this period No. 12 was almost ill and not able 

 to eat full rations. This accounts especially for the abnormal balances 

 of February 6, 7, and 8. No. 12 is no longer under observation after 

 this time. It is necessary, therefore, to confine the comparison of 

 data to those for Nos. 7 and 10. For the fore, period the balance for 

 these two is 141.77; for tbe first preservative subperiod, 136.85; for 

 the second subperiod, 134.76; for the third subperiod, 122.29; and for 

 the first, second, and third together, 130.80. There was no after 

 period in Series II. 



The data of this table show a tendency on the part of the preserva- 

 tive during the time it was administered to decrease the absorption 

 of fat. 



SERIES III. 



Four members of the class were present and under observation dur- 

 ing the entire series. For them the daily average fat balance for the 

 fore period, February 19-27, inclusive, is 106.93. For the first pre- 

 servative subperiod, February 28 to March 3, inclusive, the daily fat 

 balance is 117.74; the second subperiod, March 4-7, inclusive, 115.54; 

 for the third subperiod, March 8-11, inclusive. 96.78; for the first, 

 second, and third subperiods together, February 28 to March 11, inclu- 

 sive, it is 109.85; an.d for the after period, March 12-19, inclusive, 

 100.64. 



