ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 573 



The conclusion was reached that a disease very similar to beriberi can be 

 produced by a diet of peeled rice, independently of climate or locality. " This 

 fact seems to be of importance for the physiology and hygiene of nutrition, 

 demonstrating the inefficiency of an exclusive rice diet to sustain life." 



The experiments further led to the conclusion that the alcohol-soluble proteid 

 of barley, at any rate in the quantities used, did not prevent the disease, and 

 that the beneficial action of barley, when added to a rice diet, was due to 

 some other constituent of this cereal. 



" The addition to a rice diet of large quantities of calcium and of phosphorous 

 (as calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate) seems also unable to prevent 

 the disease." 



Experiments with salts of aluminium and beryllium, W. J. Gies (Jour. 

 Pharmacol, and E.ipt. Thcr., 2 {1911), No. Jf. p. .'/OJ). — A preliminary note on 

 work reported below. 



On the absorption of aluminium from aluminized food, M. Steel (Amcr. 

 Jour. Physiol., .IS {1911), No. 2, pp. 9.'i-102). — When alum was administered in 

 aluminum-free foods to dogs or when they were given biscuits baked with alum 

 baking powder, " aluminum in comparatively large amounts promptly passed 

 into the blood. 



"Absorbed aluminum circulated freely, but as it did not show any pronounced 

 tendency to accumulate in the blood, its full effects unist have been I'egistered 

 outside of the circuhition." 



When aluminum chlorid was administered intravenously, from 5.55 to 11.11 

 per cent of the aluminum passed from the blood into the feces during the 3 days 

 immediately following the injection. " Whether the aluminum passed directly 

 through the walls of the intestine or was excreted by the liver, or whether both 

 channels (or others) were followed, has not yet been ascertained." 



Deterioration of aluminum and aluminum utensils, E. Heyn and O. Baueb 

 (Mitt. K. Materialpriifiiiig.'iamt Gross-Lichterfelde West, 29 {1911), No. 1, pp. 

 2-28; al)s. in Chcm. Zenthl., 1911, I, No. 12, p. 913). — The results are reported 

 of a chemical study of deterioration in aluminum utensils, in which the solu- 

 bility in water and various solutions was especially studied. Treatment with 

 vaseline diminishes the effect of tap water and similar solutions. 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



Mendelism, R. C. Punnett {New York, 1911, 3. cd., rev. and enl., pp. XIV -{- 

 192, pis. 7, figs. 35). — A new and enlarged edition of a lucid exposition of Men- 

 del's law. The revision includes results of investigations since the previous edi- 

 tion was issued. 



Computation of the coefficient of correlation, H. S. Jennings (Amer. Nat., 

 45 {1911), No. 535, p. 413). — ^A note which suggests an easy method for reducing 

 the large product numbers resulting in the method proposed by Harris (E. S. 

 R., 24, p. 375) in computing the coefficient of correlation. 



On sex chromosomes in hermaphroditism, W. E. Castle (Amer. Nat., 45 

 {1911), No. 535, pp. 425-430). — The author makes use of the recent studies of 

 Boveri <* and Schleip * with parthenogenetic invertebrates to show how they 

 provide a way of reconciling the opposed views that sex determination is inde- 

 pendent of environmental influences and that it is dependent upon them, 

 although he finds no positive evidence that environmental agencies control sex 

 in the higher animals. 



«Verhandl. Phys. Med. Gesell. Wiirzburg, n. ser., 41 (1911), pp. 83-97. 

 ^Ber. Naturf. Gesell. Freiburg, 19 (1911). 



