No. 560] INFLUENCE OF FASTING ON GROWTH 479 



Kalian 2 observed that after seventeen clays of inanition 

 (when the body had suffered a loss of 31 per cent.) rabbits 

 gained 56 per cent, in weight on a diet even less sufficient 

 than that, which could just maintain them in a state of 

 equilibrium under normal conditions. The retention of 

 protein by the cells, as their principal building material, 

 is greater than usual, and along with it goes the retention 

 of water. 



If the growth of the body as regards weight cor- 

 responded to the amount of food taken for that period of 

 time, then the coefficient of growth should be equal, 

 G/F=l. According as to whether a larger or smaller 

 portion of the food is transformed into body substance, 

 i. e., participates in growth, the coefficient ought to vary 

 from to 1. Furthermore, when the increase in weight 

 of the animal exceeds the quantity of ingested food, the 

 coefficient will rise above 1. In the following Table B we 

 give the records of the body weights for consecutive days, 

 the amount of food ingested and the corresponding coeffi- 

 cient of growth of four animals. 



TABLE B 



