TRANSLATIONS FROM CONTINENTAL JOURNALS. 575 
tained almost at tlie normal point. Now the blood, being 
adequately renewed, offers to the oxygen a portion of its mate¬ 
rials, and sends this agent of combustion to every part, where 
it insinuates itself into the very centre of the solids, bringing it 
in contact witli the elements susceptible to be burnt on the spot. 
Thus the products of the combustion are taken up and got 
rid of by elimination. As long as these two essential opera¬ 
tions, viz., the renewal of the blood and the calorification, are 
regularly accomplished, abstinence from food is compatible 
with life. One can well understand that this state of things 
may be prolonged in proportion to the amount of matter 
that can be thus reabsorbed, and that there is more or less 
rapid destruction by combustion. It will be seen, in fact, 
that the duration of abstinence is in exact proportion to the 
state and condition of the animal, and in a contrary sense 
to the activity of the calorification. Before proceeding fur¬ 
ther, we would have you to observe that the phenomena by 
which life is maintained during total abstinence are neither 
unusual nor exceptional, but are constant and regular phe¬ 
nomena, which, under ordinary circumstances, have but a 
feeble activity, and go hand in hand with those of regular 
alimentation. But here only they are exaggerated and iso¬ 
lated ; besides, the matter which is destroyed is not replaced. 
Fundamental!}'’, nutrition is performed on one uniform plan. 
If the living substances destroyed are more than compen¬ 
sated for by those from without, then there is increased 
growth; if exactly balanced, then the parts remain sta¬ 
tionary ; if incomplete, then there is emaciation and atrophy; 
finally, if not replaced at all, as in total abstinence, then the 
wear and tear soon arrive at their termination. 
Although there is in reality an internal nutrition in 
animals which are deprived of food, it is not exactly per¬ 
formed in the normal manner. In ordinary nutrition there 
is a double current; one supplying the organism with the 
materials from without, the other propelling and ridding the 
system of the useless matter. The first is irregular and inter¬ 
mittent; has its periods of sluggishness and stops, and which 
are even sometimes considerably prolonged. The second, 
on the contrary, is continual and irresistible; divers causes 
may retard its progress, but none can arrest it. In nutrition 
during abstinence from food, the current which ought to 
bring alimentatary matter from without is represented by a 
phantom (simulaire). The proper substance of the organism 
holds food, which is contributed or borrowed from all the 
tissues, to which it is afterwards returned under a new 
form before it becomes destroyed and elimini^ted. Th§ 
