1888 - 89 .] Paton and Stockman on Metabolism of Man. 123 
themselves into a committee, taking watch in rotation, so that 
Jacques should never be left for a moment unattended by one of 
them. (I may say that one or two members of my class acted upon 
this committee , and that I have not the slightest doubt that the sur- 
veillance was complete . — D. 1ST. P.) 
We have to thank the gentlemen of this committee for much 
valuable assistance, without which our observations could not have 
been carried out. More especially are we indebted to Mr Griffiths 
for the endless trouble he took in preparing for us notes of weights, 
of amount of exercise taken, and of other points of interest. 
Jacques is a somewhat slightly built individual, of 47 years of 
age. He is a block-printer, and was born at St Amant-les-Eaux, Nord. 
He has no great muscular development, nor has he any excess of 
subcutaneous fat. He has always enjoyed good health, and states 
that he has already successfully carried out five different fasts of 
varying duration. 
Four or five years ago he fasted in private for one week. A month 
later he fasted for fourteen days. In 1886 he fasted in London for 
twenty-one days, being watched during the period. We have 
ascertained that the surveillance was by no means so thorough as 
could be desired. 
Tn the spring of 1887 he fasted in private for thirty days, and in 
the spring of 1888 he underwent in private a fast of forty days. 
During all these fasts he believes that he has been sustained by 
taking in very small quantities a mixture of certain herbs, which he 
in his first three experiments used in the form of a decoction, but 
in all subsequent experiments as a powder. 
The composition of this preparation he keeps a profound secret. 
But before commencing the present fast, he made a sworn declara- 
tion that it was entirely composed of herbs growing in Kent. Of 
this powder he took only the smallest quantities, a mere pinch, 
generally once, more rarely twice daily. On several days he did 
not take any. 
During the course of his fast he rubbed into his thighs and trunk 
small quantities of camphorated olive oil. But in the course of the 
thirty days, only 306 grms. were so rubbed in. He also used small 
quantities of a lotion which he applied to the head, as he said, 
because it refreshed him greatly. On examination this was found 
