On the physiological effects of severe and protracted muscular exercise : with special reference to its influence upon the excretion of nitrogen / By Austin Flint, jr.

  • Austin Flint II
Date:
1871
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the physiological effects of severe and protracted muscular exercise : with special reference to its influence upon the excretion of nitrogen / By Austin Flint, jr. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    are developed to the maximum. In the case of Mr. Weston, no rigid system of training was adopted; but the variations in weight are interesting, in view of the great variations in his diet during the three periods and the immense differences in the amount of exercise taken. When the investigations were begun, at midnight, -No- vember 15th, the weight was 120.5 lbs. (54 k. 655 grammes), xlt the end of the five days it had been reduced to 119.2 lbs. (54 k. 62 grammes). The lightest weight during this period was on the fourth day, when it was 118.5 lbs. (53 k. 745 grammes). On the second day, the weight increased to 121.25 lbs. (55 kilos.). First Period, Five Days before the Walk—On the first day, the weight being unchanged, Mr. Weston walked fifteen miles; he took 122.99 oz. (3.492.17 grammes) of food and drink, containing 361.22 grains (23.404 grammes) of nitrogen. He discharged 44.20 oz. (1,303.08 grammes) in the urine and feces,and 78.79 oz. (2,189.09 grammes) by the lungs and skin. The weather was clear and dry, the temperature ranging from 35° to 46° Fahr. Assuming the usual quantity of food and drink for an ordinary man to be about 90 oz. (about 2,542 grammes), containing about 310 grains (20 grammes) of nitro- gen,' rather an excess was taken on this day. The cutaneous exhalation was excessive. Allowing 20 oz. (567 grammes) for pulmonary exhalation, which is tolerably constant, the cuta- neous exhalation amounted to 58.70 oz. (1,658.27 grammes), the normal amount being about 30 oz. (850 grammes).2 On the second day, there was a diminution in the total quantity of food and drink and in the amount of nitrogen (total food and drink, 105.43 oz. [2,987.92 grammes] ; nitrogen, 288.35 grains [18.682 grammes}), with an increase in weight of 12 oz. (345 grammes), the urine and feces being dimin- ished about 0.5 oz. (15.13 grammes), and the cutaneous ex- halation about 29 oz. (834.12 grammes). The weather was a little warmer, but cloudy and damp. The only explanation 1 Flint, Jr., Physiology of Man, New York, 1867, vol. ii., Alimente- tion. p. 124. 2 Id., 1866, vol. i., Respiration, p. 447; and, Id., 1870, vol. Hi., Secre- tion, p. 139.
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