•FOODS HITMAN NUTRTTTOK. . 759 



for the iii;iinteniince of its iionii.i! s\i])|il.v. The creatin ii'ni'ii with the food is 

 constMiuciitly not Mhsorhed and rctaiiicd liy the inuscles to the same extent as 

 when the food contains an insnlli<-iei)t snpjily of jirotein." 



Experiments on the origin of creatin in the animal body, M. Jafi'e 

 (yAKchi: I'hi/sifil. Chcni.. '/S ( I'Jtic,]. \ o. .',. iiji. .'i30-.'i6S) . — Glycocyanun (^nanidin 

 a<-etic acid) forms creatin in the luidy by the addition of a methyl radical. 

 Aru'inin is i,rolial)ly not an intermediate product. The experiments weri' made 

 with raliiiits. 



The excretion of creatin and creatinin by man, K. (). af Ki.kkckkk (Jieifr. 

 CJiciii. Phiixio]. II. I'alli.. S {mini), Xo. 1-2, ijp. .W-dl). — According to the author's 

 experiments the consumi)tion of protein had practically no influence u])on crea- 

 tinin excretion. 



In general tlie anihor is of the ojiinion that although most of tlie ci'eatin 

 and creatinin s\ipplied liy the food is excreted through the kidneys, a little is 

 utilized i»y tlie body, ci-eatin being the more readily u1ili/,ed of the two. His 

 cxperimeiils funiisli no exidiMicc that any exogenous creatin is convei'ted into 

 creatinin. 



The eliniination of creatinin, (). E. C'r.ossoN (Aiiicr. Jour. I'ln/siol.. IC, 

 {1!)()G), Xfj. 2, 1)1). 2.').i-2in. fi(/. 1). — The data reported indicate that creatinin 

 is a constituent of the urine from an early period in man, dogs, and cats, and. 

 iiuU-pendent of the ingestion of creatin and creatinin, foi'nis a characteristic 

 endogenous catabolic end la'oduct of metabolism. 



Experiments on the physiological action and metabolism of anhydvo- 

 oxymethylene-diphosphoric acid ( phytin acid), Ij. I'.. Mendel and F. P. 

 rNDERiiii.i, (AiiK-r. Jour. /'lii/sioL. 11 {J906). Xo. 1, pp. 7-'>-SS). — According to 

 the authors, .n solntion of .inhydro-oxymethylene-diphosphoric acid, the acid 

 radii-al of phytin. preiiared from wheat bran, appears to be quite stable. When 

 l>rcscnt ill sutlicient concentration it hinders growth of bacteria, but the salts of 

 tlie a<'id ai-e not noticeably bactericidal. 



As shown l)y the experiments rejiorted, " comparatively large doses of the 

 ])hosi)h()-orgauic acid, used as the sodium salt, can be introduced into animals 

 either jier os, subcutaneously, intraperitoneally, or intravenously, without 

 unfavorable effects. The free acid is more toxic. 



" No marked or immediate characteristic effects of the sodium salt upon gen- 

 eral health or nitrogenous metabolism have been observed. The compound is 

 readily absorbed and speedily transformed within the organism. Its phos- 

 jihorus reappears in the excreta as inorganic phosphates. No constant relation 

 iietween the metabolism of nitrogen and of phosphorus was observed. In these 

 details our exjierience with the dog corresponds with the observations of .lordan. 

 Hart, and Patten after feeding phytin to cattle. [E. S. K.. 18, p. .")()S.:i Our 

 results differ in showing that in both the dog and rabbit the exce.ss of phos- 

 phorus was almost entirely eliminated through the kidneys rather than in the 

 feces. This may have an imiiortant be.-iring on the jiossibility of i»ro(lucing 

 laxative effects with i)hytin. 



" In oni- experimental animals purgative action could not be constantly pro- 

 voked. Very large doses were frequently effective. No permanent geiu'raliza- 

 tions can be drawn from the observations made on this poiut." 



The effect of different factors upon the digestion of protein, P. Salecker 

 and A. Stutzer (Jour. Lmidir.. .'>'/ ( llilHh. Xo. .J. pp. 273-282). — A lowering of 

 the digestibility of iirotein is noticed in many cases when nitrogenous materials 

 heated for a considerable' time at a temperature imder that of boiling water 

 are treated with pepsin hydrochloric acid. Apparently the lower digestibility 

 is not due to the action of atmosi)heric oxygen, but to some molecular chang<' in 

 the jiroteid molecule. Peat lowers the digestibility of protein, so this material 



