1152 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The functions of food in the body, A. Rabagliat (London: Elliot f^tock, 

 1907, PI). Vj; rer. in Brit. Med. .Jour.. 1907, Xo. 2-',19, p. 1125).— An this discus- 

 sion of body dynamics tiie autlior advances the theory that the body secures its 

 energy during sleep, though he admits that the ultimate source of vital energj' 

 is not known. In his opinion, energy is not derived from food and he believes 

 that man eats too uuich. 



A graphic method in practical dietetics, I. Fisher {Jour. Aiiicr. Med. 

 A.s.s'oc, .'fS {1907). Xo. 16. pp. 1316-1325, ficia. 15). — The data rei)orted in this 

 description of a method and apparatus for determining food values have been 

 noted from another publication (E. S. R.. 17, p. 1174). 



Biological energetics. The greater expenditure of energy pertaining to 

 a meat diet in comparison with the expenditure which occurs when food 

 materials containing all 3 nutrients are consumed, A. Chaveau {Compt. 

 Rend. Aead. Hci. [Paris], lU {1907), Xo. .'/, pp. 173-178, flff. i).— Experiments 

 were made with dogs at rest and performing a known amount of work to 

 determine the relations existing between the nature of the luitrients and the 

 activity of the respiratory exchanges taken as an indication of the expenditure 

 of energy occurring in connection with their assimilation. There were experi- 

 ments with no food as a basis of comparison and others with a uniform basal 

 quantity of meat supplemented by equivalent quantities of sugar, fat, and meat. 



According to the author, the results of both the rest and the work experiments 

 agree in showing that the utilization of the nutrients by the organism, that is, 

 their digestion, absorption, and assimilation, entails an Increased consumption of 

 oxygen, indicative of an increase in the energy expenditure of the organism, 

 the Increase being slight in the case of the carl)ohydrates, somewhat greater 

 in the case of fat, and very decidedly larger in the case of the protelds. The 

 author states that there is no indication that this extra energy metabolism is 

 due to Increased Internal activity of the organism and he believes that the 

 cause, whatever it may be. is not in accord with the principle of Isodynamism. 



Concerning the rapidity of protein cleavage in the animal body, W. 

 Falta (Deut. Arch. Klin. Med., 36 {1906), pp. 517-56-'/ ; ahs. in Zentbl. Gesam. 

 Fhyfdol. u. Path. Sto-fttcechsels, n. ser., 2 {1907), Xo. 1, p. 29). — According to the 

 author's observations, the cleavage of large quantities of pure protelds in the 

 body does not progress as rapidly as has been supposed, 3 or 4 days being re- 

 quired for the excretion of all the nitrogen derived from even those which 

 are easily broken down. The rapidity of cleavage differs with various pi'otelds, 

 and the protelds studied may be arranged according to this property in the 

 following groups: (1) Gelatin, casein, serum albumin and tibrin, {'2) blood 

 global, (3) hemoglobin, and (4) ovovitellin and genuine ovalbumin. Nitrogen 

 retention and similar (juestions are discussed. 



Concerning the digestibility of fat in the animal body, S. Levites 

 {Ztschr. Physiol. Chem., J,9 {1906), No. 2-3, pp. 273-285).— Experiments on the 

 digestibility of butter fat, beef suet, and lard led to the following conclusions: 



The digestibility of fat involves two chemical processes, namely, the cleavage 

 of the fat into fatty acids and glycerin and the formation of salts of the fatty 

 acids. Neither of these processes is carried on to completion since the con- 

 dition of e(iuillbrlum Is always reached between neutral fat and fatty acids or 

 neutral fat and fatty acids and their salts. In the stomach fat undergoes only 

 a little chemical change (saponification) so long as the liquid from the duode- 

 num does not pass into the stonuich. When this takes place the fat cleavage is 

 considerable. Fat is not resorbed in the stomach. Resorption takes place first 

 in the upper part of the small intestine, either in the form of free fat or free 

 fatty acid, but further investigations are needed before the form in which fat 

 is resorbed can be stated. 



