Two experiments were made with the Middletown calorimeter in which excessive amounts of food were taken as a supper. Otherwise the experiments were similar in plan to the heavy-breakfast experiments, except that the measurements continued for a somewhat longer time and were not made in 2-hour periods. Both of the subjects had been used in the heavy-breakfast experiments.

A. L. L., April 6-7, 1906

The food taken consisted of 145 grams bread, 42 grams butter, 109 grams eggs, 57 grams potato chips, 256 grams bananas, 90 grams sweet chocolate, 446 grams milk, 103 grams cream, and 25 grams sugar, a total of 1,273 grams. The fuel value of the food was 2,364 calories, of which 10 per cent came from protein, 53 per cent from fat, and 37 per cent from carbohydrates.

The food experiment continued from 9h45m p. m., April 6, to lh45m p. m., April 7, in all, a period of 16 hours. The experiment was divided into three periods. In the first period of 9 hours from 9h45m p. m., April 6, to 6h45m a. m., April 7, the subject lay quiet and asleep for the greater part of the time. In the first hour and a half there was considerable activity, as he weighed himself, received and ate the food, returned the dishes used to the food aperture, and prepared for bed. During this period of activity he went to the food aperture 3 times and opened it about 15 times, and wiped up some spilled cream. He ate his supper between 9h40m p. m. and 10h34m p. m. and retired at 10h50m p. m. In the second period of one hour between 6h45m a. m. and 7h45m a. m., April 7, the subject rose, weighed himself, and dressed, then sat quiet (reading) for the remainder of the time. The third period of 6 hours continued from 7h45m a. m. to 1h45m p. m.; the subject was quiet throughout the whole period.

The basal values used for comparison were obtained on April 19 to 20, 1906, and on April 6, 1906. The lengths of the first and third periods of measurement do not correspond exactly to those of the food experiment, but the values have been computed to the same basis. The first fasting period contained less muscular activity than the corresponding food period, as the subject ate no food and retired 12 minutes after the beginning of the period.

An examination of the results given in table 244 shows that the heat production in the 16 hours of the food experiment increased 281 calories over that in 16 hours of fasting, representing a percentage increment of approximately 25 per cent. Furthermore, in the last 6 hours of the experiment there was a metabolism measurably above that of the control period, showing a prolonged after-effect of the food ingestion.

Table 244. - A. L. L., April 6-7, 1906. Heavy Supper {Mixed Diet)

Amount, 1,273 grams; nitrogen, 8.87 grams; total energy, 2,442 cab.

Fuel value: Total, 2,364 cals.; from protein, 10 p. ct.; from fat, 53 p. ct.; from carbohydrates, 37 p. ct.

1Subject retired at 9h42m p. m. on night of April 19-20 and at l0h50mp. m. on April 6-7. Previous to these times there was the activity connected with weighing and the preparations for retiring; on the night of April 6-7 subject went to the food aperture 3 times and opened it about 15 times.

2Computed to basis of 9 hours, i.e., to the duration of corresponding period with food.

3Computed to basis of 6 hours.

4Subject finished eating about 1 1/2 hours after the beginning of this period.

H. R. D., April 10-11, 1906

The food taken in this experiment was 37 grams dry cereal, 111 grams sweet chocolate, 95 grams peanut butter, 233 grams baked beans, 76 grams apples, 307 grams milk, 409 grams cream, 67 grams whole-wheat bread, and 229 grams boiled eggs, a total of 1,564 grams. The fuel value of this diet was 3,442 calories, of which 13 per cent came from protein, 63 per cent from fat, and 24 per cent from carbohydrates. The measurements were made in one period of 10 1/4 hours and one period of 10 hours. (See table 245.) The average basal value used for the first food period was drawn from measurements made on three different days with reasonably concordant values. Although the periods of measurement differed slightly from those of the food experiment, the basal values have been computed to a comparable basis.

Table 245. - H. R. D., April 10-11, 1906. Heavy Supper {Mixed Diet)

Amount, 1,564 grams; nitrogen, 17.81 grams; total energy, 3,599 cals.

Fuel value: Total, 3,442 cals.; from protein, 13 p. ct.; from fat, 63 p. ct.; from carbohydrates, 24 p. ct.

1Subject retired at 9h46m p. m. on night of April 20-21, at 9h42m p. m. on May 9-10, at 9h30m p. m. on May 17-18, and at 10h26m p. m. on April 10-11. Previous to these times there was the activity connected with weighing and the preparation for retiring; on the night of April 10-11 subject went to the food aperture twice and opened it 20 times.

2Computed to basis of 10 1/4 hours, i. e., to duration of corresponding period with food.

3Heat values on nights of April 20-21 and May 17-18 not corrected for small change in body-weight or for change in body-temperature.

4Computed to basis of 10 hours.

5Subject finished eating about an hour after the beginning of this period.

6Period, 7h45m a. m. to 8h45m a. m., when subject rose, weighed, etc., is omitted because satisfactory base-line was not obtained.

As in the previous experiment, the activity in the first food period was somewhat greater than that in the fasting periods with which it was compared, for the subject retired earlier in the fasting experiments and the activity due to receiving and eating food was absent. He went to bed on April 20 at 9h46m p. m., on May 9 at 9h42m p. m., and on May 17 at 9h30m p. m. On April 10-11 (the food period) he ate supper between 9h20m p. m. and 10h08m p. m., finishing about an hour after the beginning of the experiment. During this time he went to the food aperture twice and opened and shut it 20 times. He retired at 10h26m p. m. As no suitable basal value could be obtained for comparison, the active period in the morning from 7h45m a. m. to 8h45m a. m. has been omitted from the table.

As a result of eating this heavy supper a considerable increment was found for all of the factors of metabolism. That for heat production during the total period of 20 1/4 hours was 334 calories, this corresponding to a percentage increment of approximately 23 per cent. A comparison of the two sitting periods shows a prolonged after-effect of the heavy meal on the morning following its ingestion.