The four Middletown experiments, which were made with but two subjects, are best discussed according to the amounts of food ingested, as they were planned for comparison purposes. In the first pair of experiments, those with A. H. M. on April 5, 1907, and A. W. W. on April 6,1907, a large amount of beefsteak was taken, the measurements of the metabolism beginning about an hour after the subject had finished eating. In the second set of observations with the same subjects on May 24 and 25, 1907, the amount of food used was about half that taken in the earlier series; the metabolism measurements began approximately 15 minutes after the eating of the beefsteak. In all of these experiments the periods were 2 hours long. Statistical data regarding the experiments, not included in the tables or the discussion, are as follows:

A. H. M., 9h29m A. To. To 5h29m P. To., April 5, 1907. 65.9 Kilograms

Took enema without result; drank water 9h37m a. m., llh34m a. m., 12h43m p. m., lh32m p. m. (total amount, 325 grams). Urinated 7h45m, 9h35m, llh31m a. m., lh32m, 3h30, 5h29m p. m.; slight desire to defecate in later periods. First two periods very quiet, reading most of time; in last two periods somewhat more active but still comparatively quiet; read but little in these periods. Body-temperature: 36.87°, 36.76°, 36.70°, 36.82°, 36.85° C. Pulse rate, 64; respiration rate, 18. Nitrogen in urine per 2 hours 7h45m a. m. to 9h35m a. m., 3.23 grams.

A. W. W., 9h08m A. To. To 5h08m P. To., April 6, 1907. 58.8 Kilograms

Enema at 7h40m a. m., feeling of heaviness and fullness after eating; drowsy during first part of experiment; studied first three periods, translating with use of vocabulary, with consequently more minor activity than usual; fourth period very quiet; middle of experiment, also throughout last period, felt warm and perspired. Drank water at beginning of every period (846 grams in all); urinated 8h09m a. m. and every period of experiment. Body-temperature: 36.77°, 36.70°, 36.69°, 36.79°, 36.79° C. Pulse rate, 66; respiration rate, 21.

A. H. M., 9h24m A. To. To 5h24m P. M., May 24, 1907. 65.9 Kilograms

Enema at 7h45m a. m. without result. Quiet in experiment; read greater part of time; idle last hour. Drank water before experiment (175 grams); at end of first period (31 grams). Tired at end of experiment. Urinated 7h40m and llh30m a. m., 3h30m and 5h50m p. m. Body-temperature: 36.40°, 36.39°, 36.40°, 36.12°, 36.30° C. Pulse rate, 63; respiration rate, 18.

A. W. W., 8h47m A. To. To 4h47m P.m., May 25, 1907. 56.7 Kilograms

Very quiet throughout experiment; urinated 6h30m a. m. and in each of three last periods; drank water at beginning of every period (787 grams in all). Pulse rate, 64; respiration rate, 19.

Discussion Of Experiments

A. H. M., April 5,1907

The subject consumed 777 grains of beefsteak in 1 1/4 hours; the nitrogen content of the food was 35.68 grams. The basal values used for comparison were obtained from two experiments made about a month previous to the experiment with beefsteak. This man had been used for a large number of experiments and was usually very quiet and satisfactory in every way. While there was not complete muscular repose throughout the experiment, the subject sat quietly in a chair, reading most of the time. The urine was collected in periods of 2 hours for the purpose of obtaining an indication of the course of the nitrogen excretion.

The results of the experiment are given in table 198 and show a striking increment in all the factors of metabolism. The carbon-dioxide production increased 12 to 20 grams, the oxygen consumption 8 to 16 grams, and the heat production 29 to 41 calories. The respiratory quotients remained relatively constant throughout the whole experimental period, averaging 0.85. Both carbon-dioxide production and oxygen consumption showed a maximum increase in the first 2-hour period, while that for heat production occurred in the third period. The maximum percentage increases were 39 per cent for the carbon-dioxide production, 35 per cent for the oxygen consumption, and 25 per cent for the heat production. As there was a large increment in the last period, it is quite clear that the influence of the beefsteak on the metabolism had not ceased at the end of the experiment. The computation of the total increment and the total percentage increase can therefore have but little quantitative value, but as the figures have a general interest they are given in table 198. There was a total increment of 63 grams in carbon-dioxide production, 46 grams in oxygen consumption, and 136 calories in heat production.

Table 198. - A. H. M., April 6, 1907. Sitting. (2-Hour Periods). Beefsteak

Amount, 777 grams; nitrogen, 35.68 grams; total energy, 1,617 cals.

Fuel value: Total, 1,305 cals.; from protein, 70 p. ct.; from fat, 30 p. ct. Basal values (March 6 and 9, 1907): CO2, 51 grams; O2 46 grams; heat, 164 cals.

1Subject ate beefsteak in 1 1/4 hours.