21 grams experiment
After the experiment was published in American Medicine, physician Augustus P. Clarke criticized it. Clarke said that at the time of death, the body temperature suddenly rises. This is because the lungs are not cooling blood anymore. This causes more sweating which could explain MacDougall’s missing 21 grams. Clarke also said that dogs do not have sweat glands. So they would not lose weight this way after death. Clarke’s criticism was published in the May issue of American Medicine. Arguments between MacDougall and Clarke argued about the experiment in the journal until at least December that year.