158 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



a week's duration, made with 10 persons, showed that nitrogen equilibrium was 

 maintained, or even small gains made, on the diet furnished. Information is 

 also summarized regarding diet in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Russia. 



Some questions of metabolism, and nutrition, A. Gigon {Munchen. Med. 

 Wchnschr., 58 (1911), No. 25, pp. 13^3-1347, dgm. 1; ahs. in ZentU. Biocliem. u. 

 Biophys., 12 (1911), No. lt-5,,p. 118). — In the author's opinion his experiments 

 show for the first time that the greater part of the carbon of food protein 

 yemaiuing after the cleavage of urea is converted into fat in the normal 

 organism and in smaller quantities into carbonhydrates. 



Concerning protein m.etabolisni, II, F. Feank and A. Schittenhelm 

 (Ztschr. Physiol. Chem., 73 (1911), No. 3-If, pp. 157-175, dgms. 2).— The con- 

 elusion reached is that, provided digestion has been properly carried on and 

 the material obtained properly dried, protein does not lose its value for protein 

 formation by artificial digestion continued to abiuretic cleavage. 



Experimental studies on creatin and creatinin. — I, The role of the carbo- 

 hydrates in creatin-creatinin metabolism, L. B. Mendel and W. O. Rose 

 (Jour. Biol. Chem., 10 (1911), No. 3, pp. 213-253). — ^A general conclusion from 

 the investigations reported and discussed in detail is that without question the 

 metabolism of creatin is intimately associated with carbohydrate metabolism. 



Experimental studies on creatin and creatinin, W. C. Rose (Proc. Soc. 

 E.vpt. Biol, and Med., 8 (1911), No. 5, pp. 127, 128).— A. brief account of the 

 above. 



Experimental studies of creatin and creatinin. — II, Inanition and the 

 creatin content of muscle, L. B. Mendel and W. C. Rose (Jour. Biol. Chem., 

 10 (1911), No. 3, pp. 255-264)- — ^An increase in the percentage of creatin in 

 the muscles of rabbits and a hen during inanition was noted. This may be 

 ascribed to a removal of the noncreatin portion of the muscle, leaving the 

 creatin intact, or to an increased formation of creatin, the latter seeming to 

 the authors the more plausible explanation. 



Experimental studies of creatin and creatinin. — III, Excretion of creatin 

 in infancy and childhood, W. C. Rose (Jour. Biol. Chem., 10 (1911), No. 3, 

 pp. 265-270). — Considerable quantities of creatin were found in the urine of 

 children of 5 years and over; indeed, with the exception of two cases creatin 

 was present in all the samples examined from children under 15 years of age. 

 The diet in most cases presumably contained more or less meat. 



" It is possible, therefore, that the oxidation or conversion of creatin into 

 creatinin may be diflicult for young individuals to accomplish, and in this case 

 the creatin of the urine may, in part, represent ingested creatin ; or the 

 glycogenic functions may be imperfectly developed and the store of carbo- 

 hydrates be insufficient to exert its regulatory influence over metabolism during 

 childhood." 



The balance of acid-forming and base-forming elements in foods, and its 

 relation to ammonia metabolism, H. C. Sherman and A. O. Gettler (Proc. 

 8oc. Expt. Biol, and Med., 8 (1911), No. 5, pp. 119, i20).— Continuing earliei- 

 work (E. S. R., 10, p. 763), ash analyses were made of a number of foods, and 

 from the percentage of total sulphur, phosphorus, and chlorin on the one hand, 

 and sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium on the other, the excess of 

 acid over base, or base over acid, resulting from the oxidation of the food, 

 was calculated. Previous ash analyses were also studied and supplemented 

 by such determinations as were necessary to permit the calculation of this 

 balance for a wide range of food materials. 



" Meats and eggs show a predominance of acid-forming elements ; in fruits 

 and vegetables the base-forming elements predominate. From this standpoint 

 the fruits and vegetables tend to balance the meats of the diet. Milk and the 



