Of all the men, Bates was the only one who underwent any great loss of weight. He, however, was quite stout, and the work in the gymnasium, reinforced by the change in diet, brought about what was for him a very desirable loss of body-weight. It is evident, therefore, that there was no marked or prolonged loss of body-weight as a result of the continued use of the low proteid diet. Regarding the second point, viz., nitrogen equilibrium, the following illustrations will suffice to indicate the relationship existing between the income and outgo of nitrogen. A balance experiment with each of the men, lasting seven days, February 29 to March 6, is here shown, the figures given being the daily averages for the period: +-------------+----------+-----------+-------------+----------+ | | Nitrogen | Nitrogen | Nitrogen of | Nitrogen | | | of Food. | of Urine. | Excrement. | Balance. | +-------------+----------+-----------+-------------+----------+ | | grams | grams | grams | grams | | Oakman | 9.52 | 7.24 | 1.76 | +0.52 | | Henderson | 9.40 | 7.90 | 1.00 | +0.50 | | Morris | 9.49 | 6.05 | 2.30 | +1.14 | | Coffman | 9.53 | 7.92 | 1.47 | +0.14 | | Steltz | 9.62 | 7.16 | 1.95 | +0.51 | | Loewenthal | 9.64 | 7.00 | 1.71 | +0.95 | | Cohn | 9.27 | 7.63 | 1.41 | +0.23 | | Zooman | 9.49 | 7.13 | 1.76 | +0.60 | | Sliney | 9.52 | 8.08 | 1.92 | -0.48 | | Broyles | 9.43 | 7.01 | 1.19 | +1.23 | | Fritz | 9.37 | 6.36 | 1.81 | +1.20 | +-------------+----------+-----------+-------------+----------+ [Illustration: FRITZ _At the close of the experiment_] With one exception, all of the men were plainly having more proteid food than was necessary to maintain the body in nitrogen equilibrium, the plus nitrogen balance in most cases being fairly large. It is only necessary to remember that a gain to the body of 1 gram of nitrogen means a laying by of 6.25 grams of proteid, and with such a gain per day it is apparent that the men were really being supplied with an excess of proteid food. This view is supported by the fact that a later balance experiment, when considerably less proteid food was being given, still showed many of the men in a condition of plus balance, or with a minus balance so small as to indicate essentially nitrogen equilibrium. The following figures, being daily averages of a balance period about the first of April, may be offered in evidence: