During the third week of February 1906, the Middletown respiration calorimeter was employed for studying the increment in the metabolism due to the eating of a large amount of food. The meal selected for this purpose was breakfast, as it was believed that a subject could eat a larger amount at this time rather than at the end of the day, especially if his supper the night before had been light. Six experiments with three subjects were made on this plan; they were all 8 hours in length, with the measurements in 2-hour periods.

A. L. L., February 13, 1906

The breakfast for this experiment consisted of 180 grams bread, 73 grams butter, 78 grams sugar, 311 grams oatmeal, 235 grams cream, 182 grams milk, 214 grams cocoa, and 92 grams eggs, a total amount of 1,365 grams. The fuel value of this food was 2,720 calories, 10 per cent of which came from protein, 52 per cent from fat, and 38 per cent from carbohydrates. The data for the experiment are given in table 238. The basal value used for comparison was drawn from three experiments within a week of the food experiment. The total increment was 61 grains in the carbon-dioxide production, 48 grams in the oxygen consumption, and 162 calories in the heat production. As the basal value for the heat production was approximately 600 calories for the 8 hours of the experiment, it will be seen that this increment of 162 calories corresponded to an increase in the metabolism of 27 per cent. There was no indication that the stimulus to the metabolism had ceased at the end of the experiment, as even in the last 2-hour period there was an increase of 7 grams in the carbon-dioxide production, 8 grams in the oxygen consumption, and 26 calories in the heat production. It is evident that this excessive amount of food, although not so large as it was hoped the subject could eat, produced a prolonged increase in the basal metabolism.

Table 238. - A. L. L., February I3, 1906. Sitting. (2-Hour Periods). Heavy Breakfast (Mixed Diet)

Amount, 1,365 grams; nitrogen, 10.91 grams; total energy, 2,797 cals.

Fuel value: Total, 2,720 cals.; from protein, 10 p. ct.; from fat, 52 p. ct.; from carbohydrates, 38 p. ct. Basal values (February 7 to 20, 1906): CO2, 47 grams; O2, 41 grams; heat, 151 cals.

1Subject ate food in about 30 minutes.

A. L. L., February 15, 1906

Less food was taken in this experiment than in the experiment on February 13 with the same subject. The food eaten was 180 grams bread, 78 grams sugar, 323 grams oatmeal, 200 grams cream, 55 grams butter, 262 grams cocoa, and 98 grams eggs, a total of 1,196 grams. The fuel value of this diet was 2,142 calories, of which 9 per cent was derived from protein, 47 per cent from fat, and 44 per cent from carbohydrates. The results of the experiment are given in table 239. The carbon-dioxide increment continued for the entire experimental period, with a total increment of 49 grams. The oxygen consumption apparently reached its basal value in the third period, with a total increment for the experiment of 20 grams. The total increment in heat production was 96 calories, but the increase was but 5 calories in the last period. The total increase in heat production was approximately 16 per cent.

A.H.M., February 16,1906

The second subject used for this series of experiments was able to take much larger amounts of food than A. L. L. On this date he ate for his breakfast 72 grams potato chips, 148 grams peanut butter, 222 grams bananas, 319 grams oatmeal, 103 grams graham bread, 25 grams cheese, 139 grams whole wheat breakfast food (dry), 99 grams eggs, and 652 grams cream, a total of 1,779 grams. The fuel value was 4,378 calories, of which 12 per cent came from protein, 56 per cent from fat, and 32 per cent from carbohydrates. The data for the experiment given in table 240 show a striking rise in the carbon-dioxide production, with similar increases in the oxygen consumption and heat production, all of which continued throughout the experiment, with no evidence of a return to basal value, even in the last period. The total increment was 82 grams in carbon-dioxide production, 65 grams in oxygen consumption, and 186 calories in heat production. As the basal value for heat production was 568 calories for an 8-hour period, this increment of 186 calories shows a long and sustained increase, amounting to nearly 33 per cent of the basal metabolism. During the first two periods the increment was 55 calories above a basal value of 142 calories, or nearly 40 per cent increase.

Table 239. - A. L. L., February 16, 1906. Sitting. (2-Hour Periods). Heavy Breakfast {Mixed Diet)

Amount, 1,196 grams; nitrogen, 8 grams; total energy, 2,213 cals.

Fuel value: Total, 2,142 cals.; from protein, 9 p. ct.; from fat, 47 p. ct.; from carbohydrates, 44 p. ct.

Nitrogen in urine, 0.90 gram per 2 hours. Basal values (February 7 to 20, 1906): CO2, 47 grams; O2, 41 grams; heat, 151 cals.

1Subject ate food in 20 minutes.

Table 240. - A. H. M., February 16, 1906. Sitting. (2-Hour Periods). Heavy Breakfast (Mixed Diet)

Amount, 1,779 grams; nitrogen, 19.46 grams; total energy, 4,547 cals.

Fuel value: Total, 4,378 cals.; from protein, 12 p. ct.; from fat, 56 p. ct.; from carbohydrates, 32 p. ct. Nitrogen in urine, 1.63 grams per 2 hours. Basal values (February 12 and 14, 1906): CO2, 45 grams; O2, 40 grams; heat, 142 cals.

1Subject ate food in about 25 minutes.