464 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



-Data regarding tlie amount and cost of individual foods, as well 

 as total expenditures for food, are summarized in this statistical study of the 

 household expenditures of an Italian vineyard laborer's family. 



Synthesis of cell building' material in plants and animals, E. Abdeehalden 

 (Synthese der Zellbausteine in Pflanze und Tier. Berlin, 1912, pp. X+128). — 

 The author discusses fundamental problems of nutrition on the basis of his 

 own extended investigations and the work of others. 



Such questions are considered as the worli of plant cells, the synthesis of 

 cell building material by plants; the work of animal cells; the transformation 

 of nutritive material in the body substances, blood, and cell substances; the 

 metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, phosphatids, nucleo-proteids, proteids, and 

 inorganic material in organic combination ; the solution of the problem of nutri- 

 tion with synthetic products (E. S. R., 26, p. 869) ; and the possible applica- 

 tion of recent work along such lines to Invalid dietetics. 



Experiments on the influence of a number of foods upon the solubility of 

 uric acid, M. Hindhede (Skand. Arch. Physiol., 21 {1912), No. 1-3, pp. 87-99, 

 figs. 3). — Continuing experiments previously reported (E. S. R., 26, p. 765), the 

 author studied the effects of different foods upon the solubility of uric acid 

 and the presence in the urine of uric acid which precipitates. In general, he 

 concludes that a bread, potato, and fruit diet, with^small amounts of milk, is 

 the ideal in this respect, as distinguished from the sort of vegetarian diet made 

 up chiefly of such foods as beans, peas, lentils, cabbage, salad plants, and 

 spinach. 



The influence of an excess of sodium chlorid upon nutrition and renal 

 excretion, A. Desgrez and Mlle. B. Guende {Compt. Rend. Acad. Set. [Paris}, 

 15 Jf (1912), No. 15, pp. 939-91/1) . — According to the results of experiments with 

 dogs which are briefly reported, an excess of sodium chlorid without an excess 

 of water lowered the metabolism of nitrogen qualitatively and quantitatively. 

 When the excess of salt was accompanied by an excess of wa<er the excretion 

 of nitrogen was increased quantitatively but lowered qualitatively. In all 

 cases an excess of sodium chlorid apparently diminished cleavage processes 

 qualitatively. It would seem that salt in excess, lowering, as it does, elabora- 

 tion and elimination, would favor autointoxication. 



The elimination of cafEein: An experimental study of Herbivora and 

 Carnivora, W. Salant and J. B. Rieger {U. 8. Dcpt. Ayr., Bur. Chem. Bui. 157, 

 pp. 23). — According to the authors' investigations, continuing previous work 

 (E. S. R., 27, p. 166) caffein introduced subcutaneously, by mouth, or intra- 

 A enously, is eliminated by rabbits and guinea pigs in part unchanged, in the 

 urine, into the gastrointestinal canal, and into the bile. The amount recov- 

 ered in the urine was in most cases approximately from 6 to 10 per cent with 

 rabbits and from 6 to 11 per cent with guinea pigs. More caffein was elimi- 

 nated in the urine on a diet of carrots than of oats and hay, but the reverse 

 was noted with the elimination into the gastrointestinal tract, which was 

 marked with both kinds of animals. 



" The presence of very small quantities of caffein in the gastrointestinal con- 

 tents of animals at the end of 48 hours points to its reabsorption into the 

 circulation, since destruction of caffein is highly improbable on account of its 

 resistance to bacterial action." 



Cats and dogs were found to eliminate very small quantities, slightly over 

 1 per cent of the amount ingested. " The elimination of caffein begin soon 

 after its introduction into the circulation. It was found in the urine from 15 

 to 40 minutes after its subcutaneous injection and in some cases continued to be 

 pi'esent for 48 hours. The greater part, however, is eliminated during the 

 first 24 hours, only small quantities being found in the urine later. 



