44^ Biochemical News, Notes and Comment [June-September 



ing a similar experience, suffering from higher prices to almost the 

 same degree as we are. 



"Some official figures have been pubhshed recently comparing 

 the prices now and a year ago : 



I kg. wheat flour, May, 19 14, 0.37 mark; May, 1915,0.55 mark 



ikg.ryeflour, " 0.29 " " 0.55 " . 



I kg. potatoes, " 0.07 " " 0.15 " 



ikg.butter, " 2.61 " " 3.54 " 



I kg. milk, " 0.20 " " 0.24 " 



i-egg, " 0.07 " " o.ii " 



ikg.sugar, " 0.50 " " 0.58 " 



ikg.coffee, " 3-o8 " " 3-35 " 



ikg.rice, " 0.48 " " 1.22 " 



" It should be added that the prices in May were in part lower 

 than in the preceding months. In London, according to the London 

 corresp. of the Swiss Zürich Post, flour is 71 percent higher than last 

 year; butter, 24 percent; meat, 30 percent; tea, 25 percent; sugar, 88 

 percent; fish, 50 or 75 percent; refrigerated meat, 100 percent. 



" Naturally, the increased cost of living would bear particularly 

 hard on the poorer classes, especially those families whose bread- 

 winner is serving in the army, if it were not for the assistance ren- 

 dered by the State, local organizations and private philanthropy. 

 Without exaggeration I can affirm that of my own knowledge I am 

 not aware of any distress from the high cost of living at present 

 more than in times of peace, and the lay press has not published any- 

 thing suggesting this in any part of the empire. My assertion will 

 receive more credence when the amount of the sums that have been 

 contributed for assistance is realized. . . . The social insurance 

 companies had spent for relief purposes, in connection with the war, 

 up to June I, $3,250,000 of their reserve funds. Besides this, 

 $14,000,000 have been loaned to communities for relief purposes, 

 and they took up $72,500,000 of the war loans." Berlin letter: 

 Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc, 19 15, Ixv, p. 441. 



The feeding of prisoners of war in Germany. " The War 

 Dep't recently organized a course of Instruction for the ofiicials in 



