66 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



decrease in the power to assimilate gnicose after the onset of atrophy of the 

 pancreas. The persistence of a low limit of assimilation for more than a year, 

 which was notod in the data reported, shows, according to the authors, that the 

 other orjrans of the body compensated imperfectly, if at all, for the pancreatic 

 insiifliciency. The limit of assimilation in a dog with atrophy of the pancreas, 

 which had been under observation 14 months, was increased more than 100 per 

 cent by feeding fresh pancreas. The data are also considered from the stand- 

 point of diabetics. 



The paper is followed by a discussion. 



The influence of water on gastric secretion and the chemical aflBnity of 

 mucus for hydrochloric acid in the stomach, N. B. Foster and A. V. S. Lam- 

 bert {Proc. 8oc. Expt. Biol, and Med., J, {1906.), No. 1, p. IS).— Dogs with 

 Pawlow fistules were used as subjects in the authors' experiments, which are 

 briolly sunniiarized : 



" It was observed that wilh definite amounts of cracker meal as food, the 

 amount and rate of gastric secretion depend to f-ome extent on the amount of 

 water given the dog with his meal, i. e., when small amounts of water are given, 

 the secretion is slow and scanty. If larger quantities of water are mixed In 

 the food the secretion is more abundant. 



" The degree of acidity of gastric juice depends upon the amount of secretion. 

 When this is considerable it is much more acid than when the secretion is 

 scanty. Pawlow is of the opinion that the degree of acidity of the gastric juice 

 is constant ; this can hardly be correct, however, for the total acidity changes 

 from hour to hour. The proportion of free acid depends upon the amount of 

 mucus secreted, since mucus protein like other proteins combines with IICl. 

 Mucus in the presence of pepsin combines with HCl to a considerable extent 

 and undergoes digestion, with formation of proteoses." 



Concerning the ash content of an unrestricted diet, R. Tigerstedt (Skand. 

 Arch. Physiol., 24 {1910), No. 2-Jt, pp. 97-112). — The author reports determina- 

 tions of the ash content of the food materials in the dietaries of Finns reported 

 by Sundstrom (E. S. R., 24, p. 171). 



According to his summary, the amount of phosphorus assumed to suffice for 

 equilibrium is from 2.0 to 3.5 gm. per day. The average amount found in the 

 diet of the men included in the study was 4.33 and in the diet of the women 

 2.77 gm. In the case of individuals with average muscular work, the diet sup- 

 plied on an average 3.57 gm. per day. In the case of calcium, the diet of the 

 men supplied 3.79 and that of the women 2.29 gm., or 2.87 gm. for a moderate 

 work ration having an energy value of from 3,000 to 3,500 calories. The 

 assumed average amount of calcium required per day, it is pointed out, is 

 not greated than 1 gm. The amount of magnesium considered necessary for 

 equilibrium is not far from 0.5 gm. per day. In the dietary studies, the diet 

 of the men supplied 1.09 and that of the women 0.6G gm., with an average of 

 0.92 gm. for the diet for a man at moderate work. 



According to the author, it should be assumed that, as is the case with nitro- 

 gen, equilibrium can be obtained with different quantities of ash constituents, 

 and the amount required for maintaining equilibrium is not constant but 

 probably varies within wide limits. That this is the case is indicated by the 

 variations observed in individual cases. The difference between the total ash 

 of the diet and the sum of the amounts of phosphoric acid, calcium oxid, and 

 magnesium oxid may be assumed to consist chiefly of sodium chlorid. If 

 this is the case, the dietary of the men studied would supply on an average 42 

 gm. per day and that of the women 28 gm. The ratio of the mineral constitu- 

 ents to each other and similar questions are discussed. It is pointed out by 

 the author that the fairly large amount of phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium 



