+-----------+-------+--------------------------------------------------+
| | | |
| | | Urine. |
| | | |
| Date. | Body- +-------+------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| |weight.|Volume.| Sp. | Nitrogen. | Uric Acid.| P₂O₅. |
| | | 24 | Gr. | | | |
| | |hours. | | | | |
+-----------+-------+-------+------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| 1903 | kilos | c.c. | | grams | gram | grams |
| | | | | | | |
| Oct. 4 | 59.3 | 2030 | 1014 | 15.15 | 0.672 | 1.99 |
| 5 | 59.3 | 1160 | 1020 | 10.99 | | |
| 6 | 59.0 | 850 | 1024 | 9.38 | 0.503 | 1.26 |
| 7 | 59.1 | 1860 | 1012 | 13.95 | | |
| 8 | 59.3 | 960 | 1021 | 9.33 | 0.398 | 1.47 |
| 9 | 58.3 | 900 | 1027 | 11.56 | | |
| 10 | 58.3 | 1660 | 1017 | 17.23 | | |
| 11 | 58.7 | 1460 | 1019 | 16.02 | 0.724 | 2.27 |
| 12 | 58.5 | 1060 | 1022 | 11.82 | | |
| 13 | 59.4 | 1920 | 1014 | 16.59 | 0.689 | 2.53 |
| 14 | 59.4 | 1460 | 1022 | 13.14 | | |
| 15 | 58.9 | 1320 | 1021 | 13.38 | 0.493 | 1.53 |
| 16 | 58.9 | 1900 | 1015 | 17.10 | | |
| 17 | 59.0 | 1410 | 1019 | 14.55 | | |
| 18 | 59.5 | 1650 | 1017 | 15.25 | 0.647 | 1.92 |
| 19 | 59.1 | 1120 | 1022 | 13.37 | | |
| 20 | 58.2 | 1150 | 1020 |⎫ | | |
| 21 | 58.2 | 980 | 1021 |⎪ | | |
| 22 | 59.1 | 1320 | 1022 |⎬ 11.56 | 0.480 | 1.50 |
| 23 | 59.4 | 1320 | 1016 |⎪ daily | daily | daily |
| 24 | 58.6 | 1160 | 1022 |⎪ average | average | average |
| 25 | 59.2 | 1300 | 1013 |⎭ | | |
| 26 | 59.0 | 860 | 1024 |⎫ | | |
| 27 | 59.2 | 1240 | 1024 |⎪ | | |
| 28 | 59.4 | 1440 | 1014 |⎪ | | |
| 29 | 59.5 | 820 | 1022 |⎬ 9.20 | 0.474 | 1.35 |
| 30 | 59.4 | 1000 | 1017 |⎪ | | |
| 31 | 59.2 | 920 | |⎪ | | |
| Nov. 1 | 59.4 | 1120 | 1015 |⎭ | | |
| 2 | 58.7 | 840 | 1026 |⎫ | | |
| 3 | 59.1 | 1290 | 1018 |⎪ | | |
| 4 | 59.0 | 680 | 1025 |⎪ | | |
| 5 | 58.5 | 305 | 1027 |⎬ 9.07 | 0.474 | 1.48 |
| 6 | 58.4 | 700 | 1023 |⎪ | | |
| 7 | 58.7 | 780 | 1022 |⎪ | | |
| 8 | 58.5 | 1720 | 1011 |⎭ | | |
| 9 | 58.2 | 1320 | 1015 |⎫ | | |
| 10 | 58.9 | 920 | 1020 |⎪ | | |
| 11 | 59.3 | 1640 | 1014 |⎪ | | |
| 12 | 58.9 | 780 | 1024 |⎬ 8.33 | 0.422 | 1.38 |
| 13 | 59.0 | 940 | 1025 |⎪ | | |
| 14 | 59.0 | 1180 | 1016 |⎪ | | |
| 15 | 59.0 | 1900 | 1013 |⎭ | | |
| 16 | 58.8 | 1080 | 1022 |⎫ | | |
| 17 | 59.0 | 1080 | 1018 |⎪ | | |
| 18 | 58.4 | 1500 | 1017 |⎪ | | |
| 19 | 58.2 | 1260 | 1018 |⎬ 9.60 | 0.398 | 1.50 |
| 20 | 58.1 | 1220 | 1025 |⎪ | | |
| 21 | 58.7 | 1120 | 1022 |⎪ | | |
| 22 | 58.7 | 1100 | 1021 |⎭ | | |
| 23 | 58.6 | 1140 | 1017 |⎫ | | |
| 24 | 58.4 | 1360 | 1017 |⎪ | | |
| 25 | 58.3 | 1700 | 1010 |⎪ | | |
| 26 | 58.2 | 1120 | 1023 |⎬ 9.00 | 0.447 | 1.52 |
| 27 | 59.4 | 1620 | 1017 |⎪ | | |
| 28 | 58.0 | 700 | 1027 |⎪ | | |
| 29 | 58.7 | 1660 | 1025 |⎭ | | |
| 30 | 58.5 | 800 | 1025 |⎫ | | |
| Dec. 1 | 58.0 | 700 | 1020 |⎪ | | |
| 2 | 57.4 | 680 | 1028 |⎪ | | |
| 3 | 57.0 | 640 | 1028 |⎬ 11.41 | 0.417 | 2.12 |
| 4 | 57.0 | 940 | 1032 |⎪ | | |
| 5 | 56.2 | 660 | 1032 |⎪ | | |
| 6 | 56.0 | 800 | 1029 |⎭ | | |
| 7 | 56.0 | 800 | 1026 |⎫ | | |
| 8 | 56.1 | 780 | 1030 |⎪ | | |
| 9 | 57.0 | 820 | 1022 |⎪ | | |
| 10 | 58.0 | 500 | 1025 |⎬ 8.91 | 0.412 | 1.43 |
| 11 | 57.1 | 580 | 1029 |⎪ | | |
| 12 | 57.3 | 820 | 1031 |⎪ | | |
| 13 | 57.8 | 580 | 1027 |⎭ | | |
| 14 | 57.5 | 740 | 1027 |⎫ | | |
| 15 | 57.5 | 1680 | 1015 |⎪ | | |
| 16 | 57.9 | 900 | 1021 |⎪ | | |
| 17 | 57.4 | 780 | 1013 |⎬ 7.96 | 0.413 | 1.50 |
| 18 | 56.9 | 800 | 1026 |⎪ | | |
| 19 | 57.4 | 730 | 1025 |⎪ | | |
| 20 | 57.4 | 800 | 1023 |⎭ | | |
| 21 | 57.4 | 1310 | 1017 |⎫ | | |
| 22 | 57.0 | 1370 | 1014 |⎪ | | |
| 23 | 57.0 | 980 | 1020 |⎪ | | |
| 24 | 57.0 | 865 | 1016 |⎬ 7.35 | 0.319 | |
| 25 | 57.4 | 1300 | 1017 |⎪ | | |
| 26 | 58.0 | 1390 | 1017 |⎪ | | |
| 27 | 57.3 | 1340 | 1018 |⎭ | | |
| 28 | 57.6 | 875 | 1019 |⎫ | | |
| 29 | 57.0 | 680 | 1020 |⎪ | | |
| 30 | 56.8 | 685 | 1029 |⎪ | | |
| 31 | 56.7 | 815 | 1026 |⎪ | | |
| 1904 | | | |⎬ 6.83 | 0.413 | 0.99 |
| Jan. 1 | 57.4 | 1150 | 1015 |⎪ | | |
| 2 | 57.9 | 1610 | 1023 |⎪ | | |
| 3 | 58.6 | 1120 | 1023 |⎭ | | |
| 4 | 58.3 | 1350 | 1011 |⎫ | | |
| 5 | 57.8 | 1255 | 1017 |⎪ | | |
| 6 | 58.0 | 925 | 1022 |⎪ | | |
| 7 | 58.6 | 1120 | 1016 |⎬ 7.04 | 0.372 | 0.95 |
| 8 | 58.4 | 1350 | 1020 |⎪ | | |
| 9 | 57.7 | 890 | 1026 |⎪ | | |
| 10 | 58.6 | 1510 | 1012 |⎭ | | |
| 11 | 57.9 | | | | | |
| 12 | 57.2 | 835 | 1017 | 8.32 | 0.408 | |
+-----------+-------+-------+------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|Daily average from | | | | | |
| Oct. 26 | 1045 | 1021 | 8.61 | 0.414 | 1.42 |
+-------------------+-------+------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
Any elaborate discussion of the individual results, tabulated in the
foregoing tables, seems hardly necessary. To any one interested in the
details of the work, a study of the tables themselves will give the
necessary information. It may be well, however, to emphasize at once a
few of the fundamental points most striking in character which bear upon
the main problem. Take, for instance, the case of Oakman, where the data
are recorded for every day from October 4, 1903, to April 4, 1904. The
degree of proteid metabolism, as indicated by the excretion of nitrogen
through the kidneys, is here shown for each day of the six months. Up
to November 3, practically for a month, there was not observable any
very noticeable change in the rate of proteid metabolism, but commencing
with November 4, the nitrogen excretion dropped very rapidly, and as one
glances through the daily records for month after month, it is seen that
the daily nitrogen output through the kidneys fell to 6 to 8 grams per
day, with a daily average excretion of 7.42 grams of nitrogen, as figured
from October 21 to April 4.
Further, it will be noted that while the body-weight gradually declined
during the first three months, falling from 66.7 kilos down to 62.3 kilos
on January 18, from that date on to the close of the experiment the
body-weight was practically constant. Here, then, we see, under the use
of a prescribed diet quite sufficient in amount to satisfy the cravings
of the appetite, a lowering of proteid metabolism equal to that obtained
by the individuals of the preceding group. Again, if the body-weight of
Oakman is placed at 64 kilos, as representing the average between the
initial body-weight and the weight during the last three months, it will
be found that the output of metabolized nitrogen per kilo of body-weight
amounted to 0.116 gram; not widely different from similar data obtained
with men of the preceding group.
[Illustration: FRITZ
_Photograph taken at the close of the experiment._]
Moreover, these results obtained with Oakman are practically duplicated
by every other member of this group of soldiers detailed from the United
States Army. No exception whatever is to be seen, but every man shows
the same lowered proteid metabolism, with practical maintenance of
body-weight, with complete satisfying of the appetite, and without loss
of health, strength, or vigor, as will be enlarged upon later.
While in the case of Oakman, the nitrogen excreted was determined by an
analysis made each day, in the case of the other men of this group the
data are given mainly for weekly periods; the results being expressed,
however, in the average daily amount for each seven days’ period. By
comparing the figures for the daily excretion of nitrogen with the daily
dietary, it is easy to trace out the influence of the changes in diet on
the extent of nitrogen metabolism.
In considering the changes in the rate of proteid metabolism shown by all
the members of this group, it will suffice for present purposes to deal
mainly with the average results.
Compare now the average daily output of nitrogen through the urine from
November 1 until April 4—a period of five months—of each of these men.