FOODS — HUMAN NUTEITION. 363 



the exhaled air of all, or nearly all, the persons or animals tested." A rise in 

 the barometer or marked increase in humidity produced a fall in the carbon 

 dioxid, while a fall in the barometer or decrease in humidity produced a rise 

 in the carbon dioxid exhaled. " The rise of the temperature of the air produced 

 a lowering of the carbon dioxid in the exhaled air, and a fall in the temperature 

 produced a rise. 



" The rate of the pulse seems to have no influence on the percentage of carbon 

 dioxid in the exhaled air. The temiierature (sublingual) of the body appeared 

 iilso to have little influence on the carbon dioxid in the expired air." 



The influence of moisture in the air on metabolism in the body, W. Thom- 

 son {Mem. and Proc. Manchester Lit. and Phil. Soc, 57 (1912-13), pt. 3, No. U, 

 pp. Jf). — Further experimental data regarding the effect of moisture in the air 

 are reported by the author in confirmation of the observations of the experi- 

 ments noted above. 



In these experiments, three different persons breathed first damp and then 

 dry air at about 56° F. and afterwards both damp and dry air at 98°. An 

 average increase of 4 per cent in the carbon dioxid in the exhaled air was 

 observed when dry cold air was breathed over that observed when damp cold 

 air was breathed. When warm di-y air was breathed, an increase of about 7.5 

 per cent was observed over that noted when damp warm air was breathed. 



Biochemical studies of expired air in relation to ventilation, C. Weisman 

 (Easton, Pa., 1913, pp. 99, fig. 1). — An extended summary of data relating to 

 the subject is given, and the results are reported of a series of experiments, 

 from which the following conclusions are drawn: 



Subcutaneous injection into guinea pigs of either isotonic condensation liquid 

 from human breath, in amounts up to 20 cc. followed by intravenous injection 

 of human blood serum in amounts up to 0.5 cc, or of isotonic condensation liquid 

 from human breath, followed by intravenous injection of the same kind of 

 material in amounts up to 3 cc, with a suitable incubation period between both 

 injections, did not result in anaphylactic shock. Likewise intravenous injec- 

 tion of this liquid into human beings in amounts up to 8 cc. was not toxic. 

 There was no evidence to show that the condensation liquid obtained from 

 males is more toxic than that from females, or that proteins are volatile. 

 From the fact that the extremely sensitive anaphylactic test failed to show the 

 presence of any sensitizing material in human breath, it is concluded that this 

 material is not a factor to which may be attributed the ill effects of poor 

 ventilation. The results of these experiments are contradictory to those obtained 

 by Rosenau and Amoss, previously noted (E. S. R., 25, p. 866). 



Metabolism during metal work, F. C. Beckee and O. Olsen (Skand. Arch. 

 Phi/sioh. 31 (1914), No. 1-3, pp. 81-197, figs. i3).— The results of extended inves- 

 tigations are reported in which the carbon dioxid excretion was studied in 

 periods of mental rest and activity, the mental work consisting in committing 

 to memory meaningless syllables. Quotations from the authors' summary 

 follow : 



" The carbon dioxid percentage of the air expired is approximately con- 

 stant during rest within each experiment and only the oscillations of the res- 

 piratory level furnish an approxi-expression for the oscillations in the carbonic 

 acid eliminated. Moreover on transition to rest the carbon dioxid percentage 

 of the alveolar air will rise, a fact which must probably be understood as an 

 expression for an increased accumulation of carbon dioxid in the organism 

 produced by a less effective ventilation of the lungs. 



" In the case of minor muscular work, when the subject takes up the same 

 position during the entire experiment and works with unhindered respiration, 

 the value of the increase of metabolism may approximately be expressed by 



