premise: Serum potassium at this time was 3.8 mEq. per <mask> , and the hemoglobin was 13.9 gm. By Dec. 1 , 1958 , the weakness in the pelvic and quadriceps muscle groups was appreciably worse , and it became difficult for the patient to rise unaided from a sitting or reclining position .
hypothesis: the proper context for <mask> here should be a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)