CONSUMPTION OF FOOD IN THE HEALTHY 19 



an " unknown tissue-building substance," and refer the N-retention to its 

 amulation. 



No matter in what form the nitrogen accumulates in the body in forced 

 iing, all authors seem to be unanimous in the opinion that the organism 

 eives a valuable addition. 



For this reason, we shall enumerate again the methods which lead to an 

 rease of the body albumin. 



We see N-retention without any increase in the administration of 

 rogenous foods when we give a calory excess of N-free substances (Krug), 

 1 a still more decided N-aceumulation when the food contains both an 

 lessive calory value and an excess of albumin (Llithje). 



That an excess of albumin alone in an adult healthy person without de- 

 ed increase of the albumin-saving fats and carbohydrates could bring about 



albumin accumulation (apart from the slight JST-retention in the first 

 fs, until N-equilibrium is attained) has been looked upon as impossible, 

 ;ording to Voit's principles. Only special circumstances (growth, con- 

 escence, diminution in body albumin from preceding starvation) would 

 ,ke it possible permanently to accumulate albumin in this way. 



Bornstein,^ however, lately showed in an experiment on himself that it 

 Dossible in man by an increased administration of albumin alone to produce a 

 uted increase of the albumin contents of the body. By adding to his diet 



grams of nutrose daily he accumulated in fourteen days 16 grams of 

 = 100 grams of albumin, just as, in Pfliiger's experiments in feeding adult 

 imals (dog and cat) with fat- free meat, a decided increase in weight was 

 )duced by flesh deposition. And as Pfliiger looks upon the increase of the 

 lumin mass of the body as an increase of power, so Bornstein looks upon 

 i N-aecumulation as a sign of a previously sub-standard value of his mus- 

 iar and albumin apparatus, which was then improved by a deposition of 

 lumin. 



It is an interesting fact that stock raisers '^ to-day also believe it possible 



bring about a production of flesh, in a restricted sense of the word and 

 der certain circumstances, in adult animals to a more decided extent than 

 ,s formerly thought possible. They regard an increased accumulation of 

 )umin in the body of the adult animal as decidedly improving the quality 



the meat — an improvement which does not depend upon an increase in 

 iscle bulk or new formation of muscle fibers, but is due to an increase 

 the juices in which the muscular fibers are bathed. 



For the physician these views regarding muscle food are very interesting, 

 ismueh as it is often necessary for him to treat persons below par in their 

 iscular activity. In cases in which a further accumulation of fat is never 

 sirable (anemia, neurasthenia, etc.), Bornstein's advice to adopt forced 

 iding with a decided addition of albumin is certainly worthy of considera- 



1 Bornstein, " Ueber die Moglichkeit der Eiweissmast." Berliner klin. Woohenschr., 

 )S, vol. ix, p. 791. 



2 Benneherg und Pfei^er, Journal f. Landwirthschaft, Bd. xxxviii. 



