360 On the Effect of Diet fyc. on Elimination of Nitrogen. [Mar. 2, 



Height of upright line in 

 the sphygmographic 

 tracing at 6 a.m., 

 in inches. 



1st day, nitrogenous food, pulse 12 hours after food .... 0*1375 



2nd „ „ ....0"1625 



3rd „ „ ....0-1437 



4th „ „ .... 0-2000 



5th „ „ ....0-1262 



6th „ „ ....0-1187 



~th „ „ ....0-1500 



8th „ „ 0-1125 



9th „ „ 0-2125 



10th „ „ 0-1375 



Mean 0-1501 



1st day, non-nitrogenous food 0*0750 



2nd ' „ „ 0-0810 



3rd „ „ 0-1250 



4th „ „ 0-0761 



5th „ „ 0-0625 



Mean 0*0839 



With an equal pressure the lever was thrown almost double the height 

 when the man was on nitrogenous food. This feebleness of expansion shown 

 by the sphygmograph was quite in accordance with the impression given 

 to the finger. The softness . of the pulse proved it was not owing to in- 

 creased resistance of the arterial wall. 



With regard to the temperature, the means are so close to those of the 

 days on ordinary diet, that having regard to the fact that the period was 

 shorter and therefore more liable to error, and that some observations were 

 omitted on the marching-day, it may be concluded that a non-nitrogenous 

 diet continued for 5 days neither raised nor lowered the temperature of the 

 axilla and rectum. 



It therefore appears that when the nitrogenous food of a healthy man was 

 reduced to one half for 5 days, and he was then kept for 5 days more without 

 nitrogen, he was able on the 4th day after such deprivation to do a very 

 hard day's work. The non-nitrogenous diet, consisting of butter oil, starch, 

 and sugar, kept him perfectly well ; all functions seemed natural, the tem- 

 perature of the body was unaltered, the pulse became very soft, and the 

 sphygmographic tracings showed very feeble markings ; but it was not ma- 

 terially altered in frequency. The circulation appeared to be properly 

 carried on, as far as could be judged of by the man's own feelings. The 

 health, as judged of by the man's feelings and the absence of objective 

 signs, was perfect. On account, however, of the feebleness of the heart's 



