Destiny of Cholesterol in the Animal Organism. 



233 



- 4065 grm. of the compound, corresponding to 0'0988 grm. of cholesterol, 

 whilst, after saponification, 100 c.c. gave 0*5518 grm. of the compound, corre- 

 sponding to 0-134 grm. of cholesterol. 



We do not think that the results obtained after the end of the second 

 week are of much value for purposes of comparison, as the individual 

 chickens showed such great variations in size and vigour. For instance, 

 the odd chicks remaining in pens A, B, and C, at the end of the fifth 

 week, weighed approximately 83, 159, and 115 grm., and the two chicks in 

 pen D 258 grm. 



Then, again, in pens A and B, where the animals were on the same diet and 

 apparently under similar conditions, the growths showed considerable changes, 

 as evidenced by the following table : — 





Pen A. 



Pen B. 





100 -o 



100-0 



First week 



152 -4 



160 -4 



Second week 



208 



212 -7 



Third week 



239 -8 



287-1 





285 -2 



347 -7 



Whether this was due to the individuality of the animals, or whether 

 it was due to differences in the amount of food taken, we are unable to 

 say, as we gave excess of food, but had no means of measuring the amount 

 left over. 



An excess of food was given at definite times morning and evening, and the 

 chickens were allowed to eat as much as they wished. It was impossible, 

 however, to measure the amount of food eaten, owing to the habits of the 

 birds, which trampled the food with the sand and excrement. It was 

 impossible, therefore, either to estimate the unused food, or to examine the 

 faeces, and it would have been impossible to have reared the chicks in a 

 clean cage without sand, as they would not thrive under these conditions. 



Furthermore, the laboratory conditions were not very suitable for healthy 

 growth in prolonged experiments. The individual variations were, however, 

 not so marked during the first two weeks, and we think that the results 

 obtained with the various diets during this period are fairly comparable. We 

 give, however, the later analyses for what they, are worth. 



In Table I we give the weights of the chickens at the various periods of 

 growth, and the weights of cholesterol and cholesterol esters which they 

 contain at those periods, calculated from the above data on the basis of 

 100 grm. of day-old chick. 



