I9I5] War Notes 447 



earth for the mound from a distance of about i to 2 yards, In order 

 not to disturb the soil impregnated with liquids of decomposition 

 and to avoid forming trenches at the side which would dry the 

 mound too rapidly. The mound is then planted with grains and 

 plants that grow rapidly and which are especially avid o£ nitrogen 

 or the products of decomposition. Among the best for this use are 

 the Helianthus annuus or common sunflower and the Balsamita 

 suaveolens, otherwise known as the Chrysanthemum balsamita or 

 baisam herb, whose assimilative powers are remarkable. Other 

 plants that are very greedy for nitrogen may be employed, such as 

 the Galega officinalis or goat's rue, the Helianthus tuberosus or 

 Jerusalem artichoke, the Sinapis arvensis or wild mustard, and some 

 forage plants." Paris letter: Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc, 1915, 



Ixv, p. 813. 



Food notes. Conditions in Mexico. Distressing economic 

 conditions prevail in Mexico. Mr. C. J. O'Connor, the repr. of the 

 Amer. Red Gross in Mexico City, reports that the amount of food 

 necessary for an individual per day costs at present nearly $10 

 Mexican, while the laborer's wage is $0.75 Mexican. Civilians in 

 Saltillo are reported to be eating donkey flesh and cactus. No corn 

 or beans can be purchased at any price. 



The food supply in Germany. "The restrictions that were 

 imposed on the consumption of bread are f ortunately being reduced 

 more and more. When it was learned officially that there is a large 

 reserve of grains to carry us to the harvest (7 millionen Doppel- 

 zentnern Getreide) , the bread ration per capita was increased. The 

 authorities regarded it as especially important that the bread supply 

 for working people should be made more ample. However, every 

 one soon became accustomed to the restrictions on bread, and no one 

 complains any more. This is the more readily understood as the 

 consumption of meat and of bread used to be above what was 

 actually required — a Luxuskonsumtion. With regard to other 

 foods, conditions have righted themselves so that the menus show 

 scarcely any difTerence from those of peace times. The only thing 

 in this line that reminds us of the war is the increased cost of meat 

 and other articles of food except certain vegetables. It is remark- 

 able, moreover, that other countries, even the neutral ones, are hav- 



