FOODS HUMAN NUTRITION. 461 



A study of the nutritive value of some proprietary infant foods, Ruth 

 Wheeler and Alice Beister (Aincr. Jour. Diseases Children, 7 (1914), ^o. 3, 

 pp. 169-183, figs. 30). — Laboratory animals (young and adult albino mice) 

 were used in tins experimental study of four proprietary infant foods. To 

 adapt tlie material to use by mice each of these infant foods was modified by 

 the addition of purified casein or of the salts of milk (Osborne and Mendel's 

 protein-free milk) or of both. The authors' conclusions follow: 



" Two of the four foods seemed to be complete foods . . . allowing mainte- 

 nance of constant body weight, normal reproduction, and growth more rapid 

 than noi-mai. With [one] a third generation was produced. The other two 

 foods studied . . . did not prove capable of serving as an exclusive ration. One 

 modification of [one] food appeared to satisfy the nutritive requirements for 

 maintenance and for repair in two instances, but not for growth." 



Tin poisoning' after eating canned asparagus, A. Friedmann {Ztschr. Hyg. 

 u. Infectionskranlc, 75 {1913), No. 1, pp. 55-61; ahs. in Chem. Zentbl., 1914, I, 

 No. 1, pp. 58, 59). — Bacteriological and serological examinations gave negative 

 results, and the poisoning is explained by the tin content of the canned goods, 

 one control sample containing 0.00874 gm. tin per box and the other 0.03428 gm. 

 In the autbor's opinion tbe occasional occurrence of sucb tin ])oisoning is 

 ascribable to the fact that some persons are especially sensitive to thi. 



Analyses showing the composition of the different grades of commercial 

 pack peas, J. C. Diggs [Jour. Indus, and Engin. Chem., 6 (1914), No. 4, pp. 

 310-313). — Great variations were noticeable in the composition of a pack of 

 peas pnt up by a single firm under conditions as uniform as possible in factory 

 work. 



The variation in the proportion of peas to liquor in tbe different grades was 

 considerable. " Tbe composition of. tbe liquor of tbe canned pea is largely 

 determined by the blanching and jirocessing. and as the more mature peas 

 require a longer period, we may expect to find this grade with turbid liquors 

 of high starch and proteid content. The young, immature dried peas contain 

 18 per cent more water than the oldest grade. The crude fiber decreases from 

 10.25 per cent to 7.15 per cent on the drained peas, water-free basis. The per- 

 centage of sugar seems to decrease with maturity. The reason is not apparent 

 and should be a field for further study. 



" The part played by selective absorption in determining the location of added 

 constituents is one requiring further study. The change in ash is very slight. 

 The composition of the ash seems to remain the same throughout the growth 

 of the pea." 



[Analysis of citnis fruit juices and of prickly pear products], H. J. 

 ViPOND (Union So. Africa Dept. Agr. Rpt. 1912-13, pp. 308, 309). — The author 

 states that determinations were made of the acidity and sugar content of 24 

 samples of citrus fruits, one sample in each case coming from trees budded on 

 orange and another on lemon stocks. 



The prickly-pear products included feeding stuffs, a so-called fertilizer, and 

 l»rickly-pear vinegar sirups. " None of these showed much promise of useful- 

 )iess. The sirups, for instance, were devoid of cane sugar, although one of 

 them was labeled ' sugar, ready for granulating.' " The sugar actually present 

 was grape sugar and levulose. 



Has caffein-free coffee a diuretic effect, Kakizawa (Arch. Hyg., 81 (1913), 

 No. 1, pp. 43-4'^)- — From experiments with mice as subjects, the author con- 

 cludes that caffein-free cofi:'ee does not increase diuresis. 



Studies of the temperature of beverages, A. Friedmann (Ztschr. Hyg. u. 

 Infektionskranlc, 77 (1914), No. 1, pp. 114-124). — The author reviews the 



