ON PRISON DIET AND DISCIPLINE. 61 



Experiments with Fat, Tea, Coffee, and'Alcohol. — The foregoing observations 

 will be again referred to at the end of tlie report, and will form a basis upon 

 which the Committee may offer some recommendations; and before closing 

 the analysis of this inquiry the Committee propose to state the results of 

 certain short experiments which were made upon the effect of fat, tea, coffee, 

 and alcohol when temporarily added to the dietary. It is not proposed 

 on this occasion to enter into detail, since the results obtained point to the 

 desirability of conducting similar inquiries through much longer periods. 



The issue of the inquiries was as follows ; — 



1. During the period of the administration of S\ ozs. of extra fat daily, the 

 amounts of urea and ui'inary water excreted were 529 grains, and 69*1 7 ozs. 

 on the average of all the cases, showing that no noticeable change had been 

 produced. 



2. During the withdrawal of :^ of an ounce (328 grains) of chloride of 

 sodium daily, the quantity of that salt excreted by the ui'inc was reduced 

 from 506 to 184' grains daily, the difference being almost exactly the amount 

 which had been withheld. After the full supply was renewed, it was some 

 days before the whole again appeai'ed in the urine. 



3. The excretion of urea was lessened during the administration of the tea 

 to 402 grains on the second, and 508 grains on the third, which was a 

 treadwheel-day. The exact amount of the diminution cannot be determined, 

 since in the three preceding days two treadwheel-days were included, and 

 thus this basis of comparison was unduly elevated. 



The excretion of chloride of sodium was increased to 542 grains per day. 

 The quantity of urinary water evolved remained unchanged. 



4. The urea, which had fallen during the action of tea, remained below the 

 average during the action of coffee (which was administered after the ex- 

 periments on tea), but it rose 42 grains daily, and at the end of the period 

 was scarcely below the quantity normally evolved. The quantity of chloride 

 of sodium evolved was 50 grains daily less than with the tea, viz., 494 

 grains. 



The quantity of urinary water was not changed. 



5. The urea was also lessened during the action of alcohol, to the extent 

 of 26 grains per day below the normal quantity ; but it was still H- grains 

 per day higher than the quantity to which it first fell with the tea. The 

 effect was much more evident with treadwheel-labour on the first day ; for, 

 instead of an increase with labour, there was an elimination of 43 grains less 

 than occurred on the previous day with rest, but on the third day the in- 

 crease with labour was 111 grains over that evolved on the Sunday. On 

 the first day the barometer fell greatly and tended to prevent the elimination 

 of urea. The greatest effect was upon the elimination of urinary water, 

 being a diminution of no less than 20 ounces per day on the average of the 

 three days ; and as there was an unusual thirst during the administration of 

 the alcohol (without, however, any additional fluid food being allowed), it is 

 ea-sy to see in how great a degree alcohol tends to temporarily fix fluid in the 

 tissues of the body, and in doing so to restrain the emission of urea. There 

 was also a large diminution in the excretion of chloride of sodium, but it cor- 

 responded precisely with the diminution in the urinary water. The quantity 

 evolved daily was 352 grains, or a diminution of 27*5 per cent. 



Hence the effect of tea, coffee, and alcohol in lessening the emission of 

 urea appeared to be temporary only, and in the case of alcohol was associated 

 with retention of fluid in the body, and consequently with an increase of 

 weight. The information thus obtained renders it important to test the in- 

 fluence of each article over a much longer period. 



