1867.] 



Dr. Parkes on the Elimination of Nitrogen. 



345 



The amount of solids was almost identical, but S. passed less nitrogen 

 than T., as occurred also in the first period. The excreta were quite 

 bilious, and had a greenish tint. 



On the second day of nitrogenous inanition the balance of ingesta and 

 egesta was as follows : — 



S. T. 



"Weight of body at commencement of period, 



in kilogrammes 66-89 50' 1 



Weight of body at close of period 66"19 49*6 



Gain or loss, in grammes —680 —500 



Total ingesta in food and drink, in gramm.es 2995 2907 



Urinary egesta „ .. 2477'5 2306 



Intestinal egesta „ . . 45-53 35-44 



Skin and lung egesta „ .. 1155 1065*5 



The considerable derangement of the usual balance is very evident ; it 

 depended in part on the greater amount of water taken as compared with 

 the former period, but not apparently altogether. 



The water of the kidneys and the insensible perspiration were increased, 

 while the intestinal water was lessened. 



There was no sugar in the urine detectable by common tests. 



The effects of the diet in the two men being thus very similar, a satis- 

 factory basis of comparison was obtained for the period of exercise. 



Third Period.— -Ordinary Food and Occupation, 



The men then returned to their former regulated diet and usual occu- 

 pation for four days. Very nearly the same amount of food was taken as 

 in the first period. At the end of four days the weight of the body in 

 each man had returned almost exactly to its former amount. 



The excretion of urea and the total nitrogen (which is given in more 

 detail further on) followed a course very similar in each man. 



On the first day after the return to nitrogenous diet the urea was in round 

 numbers 14 and 12 grammes respectively below the mean of the first 

 period, that is to say, it was nearly the same as during the first day of non- 

 nitrogenous feeding ; it then, in the case of S., increased day by day till it 

 reached 29*67 grammes on the fourth day. In the case of T. it increased 

 for two days, but fell a little on the fourth day ; the total nitrogen, how- 

 ever, increased regularly every day. 



The general result was that whereas in four days of the first period on a 

 similar diet and exercise the excretion of nitrogen was 71 '892 and 53*636 

 grammes respectively, during these four days of the third period the 

 excretion of nitrogen in the urine was only 51*952 and 44*38 grammes ; 

 so that in the case of S. 19*94 and in the case of T. 9*256 grammes of 

 nitrogen were retained in the body for the nutrition of the nitrogenous 



