Experiments on the metabolism of matter and energy in the human body / By W.O. Atwater, PH.D., and F.G. Benedict, PH.D., with the cooperation of A.W. Smith, M.S., and A.P. Bryant, M.S.

  • Atwater, W. O. (Wilbur Olin), 1844-1907.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Experiments on the metabolism of matter and energy in the human body / By W.O. Atwater, PH.D., and F.G. Benedict, PH.D., with the cooperation of A.W. Smith, M.S., and A.P. Bryant, M.S. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    tbe freezer the air was sampled, and the carbon dioxid and the remain- ing- water were determined. Thi' determination of water was made by passing the sampk^ through a U-tiibe containing pumice stone saturated with sulphuric acid. The carbon dioxid was removed by soda lime contained in other U-tubes. The exact arrangement of tubes and details of calculations have been referred to in the previous bulletins above cited. THE DETERMINATION OF ALCOHOL ELIMINATED THROUGH THE KIDNEYS, LUNGS, AND SKIN. Since a portion of the alcohol ingested may be excreted through the kidiu^ys, lungs, and skin it is essential, in experiments on tbe metab- olism of matter and energy in which alcohol makes part of the diet, to determine the amount of alcohol which thus escapes oxidation.' It becomes necessary, therefore, to examine the urine, outgoing air cur- rent, freezer water, and drip water for the presence of alcohol. In the last two we should expect to find so much of the alcohol eliminated from the lungs and skin as was condensed with tbe water either on the absorbers or in tbe freezers. The remainder of the alcohol from the lungs and skin would be in the air current.^ The urine and the drip and freezer waters were subjected to fractional distillation to separate the alcohol, which was finally determined by oxidation with chromic acid by the method described by Bodliinder.' An aliquot sample of the main air current was drawn through bulbs containing concentrated sulphuric acid where all tbe alcohol vapor was absorbed.^ The alcohol thus retained was determined, as before, by oxidation with chromic acid. Tbe amount of alcohol thus estimated to be given oti from tbe body nnoxidized was in each case very small. Tbe figures for tbe amounts thus determined in experiment No. 7 are given in Table 41. Similar deterniinations in experiment No. 10, as made by tbe modified method described beyond, are shown in Table 83. Tbe highest amount, somewhat over 4 per cent of the amount ingested, was observed on a single day in experiment No. 7. We have found, however, that these figures are not correct. The method used for the determination of the alcohol in experiment No. 7 involves at least two errors, both of which make the amount as deter- mined too lari^c. One error occurs in the determination of alcohol by tbe chromate method. Tbe other is due to the presence of reducing material, other than alcohol, in tbe air. This latter error also applies to tbe dcterniiiiations in exi)criment No. 10. l>oth of these sources of •It is Ikmt. assiiinod tliiit the feces would contain no considerable amount of the ah'ohol ing<'8t«Ml, though they ini^lit contain an appreciable amount of alcohol as a product of fcrmciitation. Sec Bodliinder in Arch. I'hysiol. [lMliif;crJ, 32, (1883), p. 424. ^It is hcrcaHHUiucd tiiat no conBidcral)lc amount of alcohol would bo absorbed and retained by tin; clothing. 'Arch. I'hyhiol. [I'liiiger], 32, (1883), p. 398. <Kee Benedict and Norris on The Determination of Small QuantitieH of Alcohol, Jour. Amer. Cbeni. Soc., 20 (1898), p. 299.