156 EXPEEIMENT STATION EECORD. 



According to the author's conclusions, there is evidence to show that this 

 " is a nutritional disease, and is brought about by a ' one-sided ' dietary." 



In this epidemic Bengalis were chiefly affected. 



"A community (Marwaris), living in the heart of the affected portion of 

 Calcutta, practically entirely escaped epidemic dropsy. A careful chemical 

 analysis of their dietary, which differs materially from that of the Bengalis, 

 shows that it is much richer in some important constituents, — phosphorus, etc., 

 than a rice dietary, and, therefore, the quantity of these constituents talien 

 by the Marwaris, amongst whom no fatal cases of epidemic dropsy have been 

 recorded, is greater than that consumed by Bengalis, whose staple is rice, and 

 who were very severely affected by epidemic dropsy in the recent outbreak. 

 The better class European community in Calcutta, living on a ' mixed dietary ', 

 and not consuming large quantities of rice continuously, have escaped. 



" Chemical analysis and histological examination show that by the process 

 of * polishing ', as carried out in the steam and other mills at Calcutta and 

 elsewhere, constituents essential for nutrition are removed from the rice, and 

 that the ata (wheat) which many Bengalis consume habitually, had been so 

 finely ' sifted ' that it is deprived of these ingredients to an even greater extent 

 than rice. 



" The chemical examination of samples of the kind of rice consumed habitu- 

 ally by patients affected by epidemic dropsy shows that the samples had under- 

 gone a process of 'polishing' by steam jnilling and that important constituents 

 had been removed to a considerable extent ; that wheat consumed by patients 

 affected by epidemic dropsy had undergone a considerable loss of phosphates 

 In the preparation of ata." 



To secure additional information as to the effects of faulty diet as a cause 

 of disease, experimental studies were made with pigeons fed various kinds of 

 rice and grain. 



" When fed on ' polished ' rices, both boiled and unboiled, a progressive loss 

 of weight with characteristic polyneuritis " was shown by the pigeons. " Chemi- 

 cal analyses of these samples of rice show them to have a low phosphorus 

 content. 



"Control pigeons when fed on a mixture of wheat and pulses show no loss 

 of weight, but rather a gain, and they have remained for months in good health. 

 Chemical analysis of this food shows that It contains double the quantity of 

 phosphorus contained in the sample of rice used for feeding the pigeons." 



The hemolytic action of rice fat and a note on the hemolysis of fatty acids, 

 J. Shimazono {Arch. Ea-pt. Path. u. Pharmakol., 65 (1911), No. 5-6, pp. 361- 

 366). — Both the alcohol and the ether extract of rice show a hemolytic action. 

 The substance causing this was isolated, studied, and identified as palmytic 

 acid. The author raises the question as to whether the hemolytic power of 

 certain lipoid bodies may not be ascribable to higher fatty acids mixed with 

 them. 



Baking experiments with potato flour, C. Nagel (Ztschr. Spiritusindus., 

 SJf (.1911), No. 30, pp. 375, 376). — The general conclusion was reached that small 

 amounts of potato flour, 5 to 10 per cent, can be used in making wheat bread, 

 and that in making rye bread raised either with leaven or with yeast as much 

 as 15 per cent can be used. 



Concerning' apple constituents, C. Thomae (Jour. Prakt. Chem., n. ser., 8^ 

 (1911), No. 16-17, pp. 2!fi, 21t8; ads. in Chem. ZentU., 1911, II, No. 13, p. 970). ~ 

 The author studied the characteristics of an oil obtained from apple peel which, 

 combined with a little plant fat or resin, is the compound on the surface of 

 apples which hinders evaporation. 



