1871.] Effect of Diet fyc. on Elimination of Nitrogen. 355 



It was composed of bread, meat, potatoes, sugar, spices and salt dried to- 

 gether, &c, and was stated to contain everything necessary for nutrition, so 

 that the troops on service would need no other food. It contained 13*65 

 per cent, of water and 2*73035 per cent, of nitrogen. After preliminary 

 trials to know how much would satisfy hunger, 14 ounces were given daily, 

 containing 10*838 grammes of nitrogen. The food, however, produced 

 such derangement in nutrition (indigestion, heartburn, and headache) that 

 after a few days the experiments were discontinued. In spite of the con- 

 stant ingress, the elimination of nitrogen varied greatly from day to day, 

 the extreme range being from 7" 64 1 to 15*024 grammes ; and the man felt 

 so ill that he begged to discontinue the experiment. It was interesting to 

 note that, in spite of the daily variations in the nitrogen, there passed out 

 in the 5 days nearly the same quantity as entered, viz. 54*920 grammes of 

 exit, as against 54*19 grammes of entrance. He lost weight during the 

 trial. The experiment must be therefore repeated on some future occasion 

 with other prepared food. 



Third Series. 



Non-nitrogenous food. 



In the experiments formerly related in the 1 Proceedings ' two men were 

 kept for 2 days at a time without nitrogen. As it seemed to do no harm, 

 the present experiments were now prolonged over 5 days on two occasions. 

 The first was after the man had been well fed with nitrogen, the second 

 after the body had become poor in nitrogen from the restricted supply 

 given in the concentrated food. The non-nitrogenous food consisted of 

 arrowroot, butter (deprived of casein), and lump sugar. Infusion of tea 

 without milk was allowed, but this contained in the day only \ grain of 

 nitrogen. Hunger was perfectly satisfied by this food ; the man felt quite 

 well and could have continued it. The heartburn produced by the concen- 

 trated food was at once relieved by this starch and fat diet. 



First Experiments on Non-nitrogenous Food. 

 Previous daily entry of nitrogen= 19.5 grammes. 



On the first day of non-nitrogenous food he took his ordinary exercise ; 

 on the 2nd took additional exercise, which consisted in digging up potatoes 

 over 576 square feet, lifting the weight (16 stone) into a barrow, and 

 wheeling them home for \ a mile. On the 3rd day he rested, on the 4th 

 repeated the exercise, on the 5th rested. He did the 4th day's work even 

 better than the 2nd, and could have worked on the 5th day. 



The amount of work done cannot easily be calculated ; it was a good but 

 not an excessive day's work. 



The weight on the first day was 142 lb. 7 oz., and on the last 141 lb. 

 10 oz. He took daily 60 fluid ounces of water ( = 1704 cub. centims.), 

 and as much arrowroot, oil of butter, and sugar as he liked. 



