In view of the relationships discussed above it is of interest to examine the absolute and relative excretion of the different elements as recently reported by Benedict for a subject who fasted for thirty-one days.

Urinary Excretion Of Different Elements During A 31-Day Fast (Benedict)

Day

Nitrogen gms.

Chlorine gms.

Phosphorus gms.

Sulphur gms.

Calcium gms.

Magnesium gms.

Potassium gms.

Sodium gms.

1

7.10

3.77

0.73

0.46

0.217

0.046

1.630

2.070

2

8.40

1.02

I.08

0.61

.243

.243

.243

.106

1.368

.926

3

11.34

0.79

1.10

0.68

.106

1.368

.926

4

11.87

0.59

I.27

0.67

.106

1.368

.926

5

10.41

0.41

1.15

0.65

.274 .274

.098

1.445

.276

6

10.18

0.40

1.02

0.65

.098

1.445

.276

7

9.79

0.55

0.80

0.62

.253

.253 .253

.070

.883

.154

8

10.27

0.32

0.80

0.64

.070

.883

.154

9

10.74

0.31

0.93

0.66

.070

.883

.154

10

10.05

0.28

0.86

0.61

.220 .220

.072

1.006

.100

11

10.25

0.36

0.85

0.62

.072

1.006

.100

12

10.13

0.31

0.74

0.62

. 216 .216

.065

-

-

13

10.35

0.32

0.85

0.62

.065

-

-

14

10.43

0.26

0.81

0.60

.236 .236

.071

.814

.109

15

8.46

0.16

0.64

0.50

.071

.814

.109

16

9.58

0.14

0.89

0.59

.214 .214

.078

-

-

17

8.81

0.12

0.87

0.53

.078

-

-

18

8.27

0.15

0.81

0.54

.251 .251

.059

.676

.051

19

8.37

0.16

0.77

0.55

.059

.676

.051

20

7.69

0.15

0.64

0.51

.237 .237

.053

.644

.066

21

7.93

0.18

0.70

0.51

.053

.644

.066

22

7.75

0.21

0.69

0.50

.179 .179

.050

.643

.083

23

7.31

0.18

0.71

0.51

.050

.643

.083

24

8.15

0.10

0.68

0.49

.167 .167

.056

.787

.065

25

7.81

0.18

0.67

0.49

.056

.787

.065

26

7.88

0.16

0.65

0.54

.153

.051

.656

.055

27

8.07

0.16

0.62

0.52

.153

.051

.656

.055

28

7.62

0.14

0.59

0.53

.131

.131

.047

.585

.036

29

7.54

0.12

0.64

0.52

.047

.585

.036

30

7.83

0.14

0.61

0.52

.138 .138

.052

.606

.053

31

6.94

0.13

0.58

0.49

.052

.606

.053

It will be noted that the nitrogen output and the output of chlorine run entirely different courses, especially in the early days of the fast. Each of the other elements seems to run its own course except that the sulphur tends to remain relatively constant like the nitrogen (both being derived from protein metabolism), and the output of sodium tends to run parallel with that of chlorine, since these two elements are excreted mainly in combination with each other as common salt.