Vou aVIII. No. 449. 



THE AGRICtJLTUKAL XEW8 



215 



some f f which are necessary for maintaining metabolism, 

 and others for growth. 



Vitamincs are ot two types: (I) water soluble, found 

 in ticsui s wl)ich contain active cells, in the embryonic ptrta 

 of pla:»"s, gf;riu of cert als, yeast, milk, egg, glandular epi- 

 thfli'nii ; (.'■) fat solnhk', constituents of active cells, but not 

 ill sli>r;fa: — eg. iard, nut margarine ; present in milk, cream, 

 bu<t«r, fcii» yolk, cod liver oil, oil ..f other glandular tissue, 

 ediijlc green part.s of plants 



()1 the water .soluble .'itamines those which prevent 

 pciirvy are easily destroyed by cooking, those which prevent 

 beri lii-ri not so. 



If white rats are fed on pure milk protein, starch, sugar, 

 fat. and ih'i inorginic S:>,lts of milk, there soon results a 

 lethargic condition, uusleek coat, cessation of growth, decline, 

 a'^d dtath. A few milligrammes of yeast or wheat-germ a 

 day restore them to full health. If dogs are fed on peas- 

 meal and cotton-sedd oil, there result diairhoia, dermatitis, 

 delirium, ftod death — the -symptoius of pellaera. Butter-fat 

 cures tiem like magic. The liritish garrison in Kut, when 

 ratioi'ed on white fii>ur, ^:ufiFered from beri-beri. The 

 di.-eane di^appeaied on their sharing in the coarse grain ot 

 the Indian soldiers. 



I'eilagra prev'aleiit in Turkish prisioners fed chiefly oa 

 miizv, is cured by broadening the diet. .Yeropthalmia, 

 occurring in Scaudinavian -iiildren fed on creals and skim- 

 med milk, 13 cured by the addition of cieara of cod liver oil. 



Puppies fed on a certain deficient iimouut of bread and 

 milk get rickets. The addition ot butter fat provents this 

 (E. Meilmtiy). 



Scurvy resulting from a diet jf overcooked 

 preserved food is at once cured by the addition of 

 vegetables, raw or lightly boiled, orange juice, or the 

 of turnips. 



The milk of stall fed cowti is poor in vilamines. 

 mothers fed on vitaraiue food, yield milk poor in vitamine 

 (E. Me liuby). When babies are fed on diluted cow's milk 

 sweetene I by sugar, the water solub'ie vitamines are brought 

 low in amount. It the appetite fails, deficiency may result, 

 and then endless dietetic troubles follow. It is not 

 im.T-obable that a large part of the rlifHcalties of artificially 

 feeding babies is due t/> this cause 



In ad Jilioii to vitiraines, experiments on the feeding of 

 rats and chickens have shown that, for adequate growth, » 

 suitable supply of certain amino-acils must be available in 

 the diet. Tliese are the building stones of the proteins, and 

 proteins vary in their content of essential ones. A ration 

 ■which fails to yield ihose in reasonable abundance rannot 

 promote the synthesis of new protein, that is growth ; but if 

 the other (non-pro'ein) dietary factors are suitable, increment 

 of weight can promptly be brought by the addition of these 

 essential amino-acidd. 



and 

 fresh 

 juice 



City 



WAR-TIME FOOD PRODUCTION IN 

 ST. LUCIA. 



We have received froai His Honour the Administrator, 

 St. Lucia, an interesting and instructive report prepared by 

 Mr. A. J. Brooks, A^iricultural Superintendent in that 

 colony, on the methods alop'ed to increa.se the production of 

 foodstutis during the war. 



Fiist of all, s) ccial appeals were made, by printed circu- 

 lars and posters throughout thecolony, to assist as far as possi- 

 ble in the matter of increased production among the peas- 

 ants. Attention was also given to the planting of Government 

 land. At Reunion, 25 acres were cleared of bush and 

 planted with provision crops, This increased the local food 

 supply, and also served as an object-lesson to the community, 



Available land at Government Ho ise was similirly plnted. 

 In the Choiseul Di,-,trict, free grants of land were made to 

 thirty-four peasants for the duration of the war 



As well as assistaaie in tho above direction, the Govern- 

 ment helped the peasants by means of the free distribucioQ 

 of potato and cassava cuttings, and .seed maize. 



One of the most important steps tak'?n diring the w.ir 

 was tbe extensive experiments in regard to the lumifa: ure 

 of tlour and meat from such crop-; as sweet, potatoes, d.i.-ii.'ru, 

 bananas, tanias and breadfruit The results obtained sliowed 

 that wheat-Hour shortage can be made good by using do ir 

 from sweet potatoes. This potato flour cannot be kept for 

 more than six months in'a fre?h condition, but if the pota- 

 toes are cirefully sliced and dried, the inaterial caa be k^p'i- 

 for an indefinite period. 



A collection of the various (lours, m3als, stirch>:s et-.c. 

 prepared from local food crops, was exhibited in the Public- 

 Library. 



Concerning the threatened shortage of wheaten flour, 

 regulations were passed enabling the Governor lo regulate 

 the sale of, or consumption of, wheaten flour, or of sny other 

 article of food. Fortunately at no pm .d of die war was it; 

 necessary to bring this regulation into force, but had the 

 necessity arisen, the Agricultuial Departm.'nt was in a 

 position to supply the potato meal required. 



LTseful work was accomplished in connexion with a farina 

 and starch factory A small factory was erected at U.<,uaiia 

 and equipped with mill, presses, drying tr.iys and a ba.tiery 

 of baking pans, for the manufacture of fariue and starch on a 

 commercial scale. Over 30,000 &. of f^'.rine and s;arcu 'ave 

 been made in this factory to date. This ha^ given, therefore, 

 much encouragement to the growers of cassava. 



The production of corn and corn meal was increased by 

 the free distribution of large quantilici of seed purchased by 

 the Government from St. Vincent. Grinding mills were obtain- 

 ed, and all surplus corn was purchased and turnod into corn- 

 meal and sold to the general pi'blic. 



Lastly, the report calLs attention to tbe establishment of 

 K Government t-entrai Ground TrovLsions Dopot. Tha 

 immediate object of thia depot is to ensme a constant supply 

 of fresh provisions for the community throughout tie year ; 

 the ultimate object is to improve ttie conditions of the paas- 

 ant grower by securing for hiiu a reijilar sale for his produce. 

 at fair prices The tot il number of persons who made pur- 

 chases at the depot during the last twt^lve months was 48,09-5, 

 this being just over 4,000 per mon'h. It is noted in con- 

 nexion with this, th It the Public Mtrket is situated only a 

 short distance frum the Government D .pSt 



Mr. Bro'jks's interesting repoii concludes with a State- 

 ment of receipts and eicoenditure. Tae total advaa;2i for 

 food production efforts were £^oO Tnis s cur 3d a revenue of 

 £17."). The ass. ts at the time of jrritiog were estimated at 

 £190 The financial position in regard to these efTorts appears- 

 to be as satisfactory as the eoanomic benefits derived by the- 

 people. 



The differences in the action of apsrieata on ditfereat 

 parts of the bowel is the subject of an interesting note in 

 Phyuoloi^ical Abstracts for April 11)19. Some drugs act more 

 p)werfu ly on the duodenum and less on the colon, while 

 the rever>e action is observed wi'h o her drugs. I>ru8» 

 which lend to strengthen the rontra.-tion of the colon include 

 cascara and raaijuesium sulphate (Epsom salts). Drug.'i- 

 which act more upon the duodenum Include digitilis, eriior,, 

 ipecacuanha, potassium permanganate, and sodium siitcytate. 

 It is suggested that dru^s used as laxatives mike '.ha- 

 gradient of contraction more steep, and the emetics tend tO; 

 reverse the gradient. 



