698 
DE. E. SMITH OX THE CHE^nCAE 
quantity of air 30 per cent., in the rate of respiration about *7 per cent., and of pulsa- 
tion about 6 per cent. Hence the rate of the functions was far less raiiable than the 
amount of vital action. 
At 11 P.M., or 13-|- hours after the last meal, I had felt nothing unpleasant. There was 
a feeling of great tameness, and the pulse was wav}’ or jerking and very soft. The 
respiration was feeble. On going to bed I was very cold, and notwithstanding the addi- 
tion of blankets, it was some hours before my feet became warm. I slept very fairly, 
and in the morning, at 7 o’clock, the chief feature was still tameness or inaction. There 
was, however, headache, accompanied by pulsation, and it was increased on lying down. 
There was also a disagreeable taste in the mouth and sinking at the stomach and bowels. 
At 9 A.M., the usual hour for breakfast, there was stiU greatly lessened nervous, mental, 
and muscular power, a sickly and fainting feeling at intervals, and throbbing in the 
head constantly ; causing with the nausea a most unpleasant but not constant headache. 
The pulse was still remarkably soft, feeble, a,nd wa-vy. There was no marked thirst or 
craving for food. At 10 A.M. the urine was high coloured, alkaline, with a specific gravity 
of 1'018. The saliva was very alkaline. 
The starch and water filled the pulse temporarily, but rather increased than reheved 
the depressed state of the system. The acid gave almost instantaneous relief to the head- 
ache, but the benefit was only temporary, and it did not diminish materially the alkalinity 
of the saliva. At a little before the experiment ended I was very low and ill. A cup 
of tea gave no relief, but bread and butter was of some serwce. At 12^ 10“ I began to 
eat a good dinner, and took a glass of wine ; and so soon as I had fairly began to eat the 
symptoms abated, and at the end of the meal I was quite well and went about my duties. 
It is important to remark that nothing but nutriment was of any avail. I had no 
longing for acids, or for anything in particular, except perhaps potatoes. 
Valour exhaled . — In this inquiry I also determined the quantity of vapour* exhaled by 
the lungs; and although the subject has rrot been referred to in this paper, the uniform 
state of the system during fasting afibrded so good air opportrmity to determine it, that 
I thirrk it right to insert it. 
On the average of the whole inquiry, I exhaled 2*02 grs. of watery vapour* per* minute 
during the working day, making a total of 6 oz. avoirdupois in that period. On various 
other occasions with food I found that the quantity exhaled was from 3 grs. to 3*4 grs. 
per minute, and hence the diminution during the fast was 37 per* cent. The quantity of 
vapour* to each 100 cubic inches of expired air was *548 gr., arrd hence assuming that 
the expired air had a temperature of about 98°, it was but little more tlrarr half satur*ated. 
II. VAEIATIOXS EEOM DAT TO DAY, AND EEOM SEASOX TO SEASOX. 
a. During tlie "Working day. 
1. With ordinary food. 
Variations in the quantity of carbonic acid exhaled at difiererrt parts of the day have 
been atfirmed to occur* by Seguik, Pkout, Allei^ aird Pepys*, Vieeoedt and other 
* Pliilosopkieal Magazine, 1808, p. 212 ; Pliilosopliical Transactions, 1809, p. 405. 
