Here, we find a minus balance of 8.773 grams of nitrogen for the seven days’ period. The total intake of nitrogen amounted to 61.437 grams, while there were excreted through the urine 59.33 grams, and through the fæces 10.880 grams of nitrogen, making a total output of 70.210 grams as contrasted with an intake of 61.437 grams of nitrogen. This loss of body material is to be attributed to the small fuel value of the food,—only 2494 calories as the day’s average,—though perhaps in part to the relatively small intake of nitrogen. In this connection it is to be noted that the average daily excretion of metabolized nitrogen for the seven days’ period amounted to only 8.777 grams, while the average daily excretion for the last two months of the experiment was as high as 10.07 grams. Undoubtedly, the subject did not eat as much food during the week of this balance trial as was needed to maintain equilibrium, under the conditions of bodily activity then prevailing.
The same statement applies to Mr. Bellis, whose balance trial likewise shows a deficiency of ingested nitrogen over the nitrogen output. Here, however, the deficiency is more manifestly due to the small fuel value of the daily food, which averaged only 2174 calories. Bellis showed an average daily excretion of metabolized nitrogen amounting to 8.45 grams for the last six weeks of the experiment, while in the balance period the excretion of metabolized nitrogen was 8.19 grams per day. The daily intake of nitrogen in the food, however, averaged only 7.76 grams, obviously too small a quantity to meet the wants of the body, especially with the low fuel value of the food. It is quite plain that during the week of this balance trial, the amount of food consumed was not equal to the necessities of the body, neither was it equal in nitrogen or fuel value to what the subject had been taking during the last few months of the experiment, and on which he had practically maintained body-weight for at least the last month of the experiment. It is further noticeable that during the balance week the body-weight dropped off somewhat.
Owing to the absence of Dr. Callahan from New Haven during this period, no attempt was made to determine experimentally whether he was in nitrogen equilibrium or not.
The following tables give the data in the experiment with Bellis:—
BELLIS.
Wednesday, May 18, 1904.
Breakfast.—Banana 94 grams, wheat roll 53 grams, butter 11 grams, coffee 150 grams, cream 75 grams, sugar 21 grams.
Lunch.—Soup 150 grams, farina croquette 100 grams, syrup 50 grams, string beans 75 grams, fried sweet potato 117 grams, bread 36 grams, butter 7 grams, coffee 150 grams, sugar 14 grams.
Dinner.—Hamburg steak 53 grams, potato 250 grams, spinach 100 grams, bread 55 grams, butter 10 grams, coffee 150 grams, cream 75 grams, sugar 21 grams, apple pie 142 grams.