larger quantity, as a source of energy. Hence in fasting, the daily loss of nitrogen will be governed largely by the condition of the body as regards fat. Thus, Munk has reported the case of a well-nourished and fat person, suffering from disease of the brain, who gave off daily in the later stages of starvation only one-third the amount of nitrogen voided by Cetti, who had been poorly nourished. Obviously, in fasting, as soon as the adipose tissue of the body has been largely used up, there will be an increase in the amount of tissue proteid consumed, since under such conditions the heat of the body and the energy of muscular work (work of the heart and involuntary muscles) must come from the decomposition of proteid. In harmony with this statement, it is frequently observed that in cases of starvation there comes toward the end a sudden and marked increase in the output of nitrogen. Secondly, the elimination of nitrogen during the earlier days of fasting is governed in large measure by the character and extent of the diet on the days just preceding the fast. This is well illustrated by some experiments conducted by C. Voit on a dog. In the first series of experiments, the dog received daily 2500 grams of meat prior to fasting; in the second series, 1500 grams of meat were fed daily before the fast; while in the third series, a mixed diet relatively poor in proteid was given. The following figures[23] show the amounts of proteid used up by the dog (calculated from the nitrogen excreted) each day of the fasting period, under the different conditions: [23] Expressed in this form from Voit’s figures by A. Magnus-Levy. Loc. cit., p. 311. +------------------+---------------+----------------+---------------+ | | First Series. | Second Series. | Third Series. | +------------------+---------------+----------------+---------------+ | | grams | grams | grams | |First fasting day | 175 | 77 | 40 | |Second " " | 72 | 54 | 33 | |Third " " | 56 | 46 | 30 | |Fourth " " | 50 | 53 | 36 | |Fifth " " | 36 | 43 | 35 | |Sixth " " | 39 | 37 | 37 | +------------------+---------------+----------------+---------------+