POODS — HUMAN NUTRITION. 768 



the results of some experiments in candy making, by himself and others, which 

 he believes indicate tbat such products stand cooking heats " as well or better 

 than the best glucoses" and have other good properties. As a whole the 

 article is a polemic comparison of glucose and maltose. 



The effect of glucose on autolysis — a possible explanation of the protein- 

 sparing action of carbohydrates, P. A. Shaffee (Proc. Amer. Soc. Biol. Chein., 

 S {1913), No. 1, pp. 36, 37). — A summary of a paper presented at the eighth 

 annual meeting of the American Society of Biological Chemists at Philadelphia, 

 Pa., in December, 1913. 



The results of a series of antiseptic autolysis experiments (made with hashed 

 dog liver) seem to indicate that the addition of 1 per cent of glucose under 

 some conditions slightly inhibits the action of proteolytic enzyms. The author 

 believes this may be a confirmation of the hypothesis that " the ' protein-sparing 

 action of carbohydrates ' is exerted through the influence of the concentration 

 of glucose or of glycogen upon the enzyms of the cells. 



" The explanation of the ' sparing notion ' on the supposition that sugar when 

 present is merely burned by preference and thereby makes unnecessary the eatabo- 

 lism of (body) protein, is wholly inadequate. Food protein is not thus spared. 

 ... It seems to the writer that instead of supposing with Landergren that 

 body protein (in carbohydrate starvation) is catabolized to supply the essen- 

 tial sugar, it is more likely that so long as a normal concentration of sugar 

 (or glycogen) is present in the cell the proteolytic enzyms are somewhat held 

 in check and the strictly endogenous cataboli.sm is restricted to its normal low 

 value, but that when carbohydrate food is lacking and the sugar (or glycogen) 

 concentration in the cells falls, an inhibition is removed, the proteolytic enzyms 

 become correspondingly more active, a larger nmount of cell protein is digested, 

 and the products like the products from food protein are in part converted into 

 glucose. 



" It is believetl that the autolysis experiments support this point of view." 



Origin of glycogen — role of proteins and fats, N. C. Paulesco (Compt. 

 Rend. Soc. Biol. [Paris], 76 {191^), No. 1, pp. 50-52).— From the results of 

 experiments here reported it is concluded that albuminoid substances like fibrin, 

 meat, or gelatin are important sources of glycogen, peptones are to be regardetl 

 as only mediocre sources, albuminoid substances like casein, egg white, and egg 

 yolk are of little importance, and fats such as butter, lard, and beef fat, and 

 olive, cottonseed, and linseed oils are not sources of glycogen. 



Concerning pentosans as a source of energy in the animal body, P. Schibo- 

 KICH {Biochem. Ztschr., 55 (1913), No. 5-6, pp. 370-392 ).— According to the 

 author's observations, oxygen consumption was somewhat lower when ara- 

 binose was fed to laboratory animals (dogs) than was the case during fasting. 

 Since it apparently plays no part in the oxidative processes, one may assume 

 that it is stored or used to form other substances, in a way analogous to the 

 formation of glycogen from hexoses. 



Some metabolic effects of bathing in the Great Salt Lake, Helen I. and 

 H. A. Mattill (Proc. Amer. Soc. Biol. Chem., 3 {1913), No. 1, p. 25).— A sum- 

 mary of a paper presented at the eighth annual meeting of the American Society 

 of Biological Chemists at Philadelphia. Pa., in December, 1913. 



Two subjects kept on uniform diets were studied. Analysis of the urine 

 showed no variations in total nitrogen attributable to the experimental condi- 

 tions. Observed variations in the uric acid and ammonia excretion were small. 

 The maximum ammonia nitrogen excretion was observed on the days of longest 

 baths. Creatlnin excretion showed a slight rise during the bathing periods, 

 perhaps related to the Increased muscular tonus. " Chlorld elimination was 

 considerably increased during the bathing periods, 25 per cent in one case and 



