FOODS HUMAN NUTRITION. 67 



by the addition of clieese and oatmeal, and perhaps sngar in some form. Fresli 

 bread shonld be bailed wherever possible in place of the regnlation army bis- 

 cuits. The hospital ration he considers too large, and he raises the question 

 of protein requirement and the possibility of lowering dietary standards for the 

 a rmy. 



The feeding of the soldier (Brit. Med. Jour., 190S, No. 2.iS-'h P- 3Jf7).—Xn 

 editorial discussion of the above paper. 



How much proteid does the body require? A. Haig (London, 1909, pp. S; 

 ilcd. Press and Circ, 138 (1909). No. SGS6, pp. 32, 33). — On the basis of his clin- 

 ical experience the author concludes " that few people can remain below 9 

 grains of albumin per pound [about 90 gm. per 150 lbs. body weightl without 

 loss in both these directions. Their cai^illary circulation slows because their 

 heart loses power, and their blood quality falls because there is deficient produc- 

 tion of its normal elements. . . . 



" This 9 grains per pound is to be calculated on a quite normal individual not 

 carrying an excess of adipose tissue, as it is his normal muscle structure we 

 have to nourish, and not the adipose he may have put on top of it when he 

 becomes very sedentary in later life." 



Further experiments on the utilization of protein cleavag'e products in 

 the animal body, E. Abderhalden, E. Messner, and H. Windrath (Ztsclir. 

 Physiol. Chem., 59 (1909), No. 1, pp. 3o-.'/2). — Additional experiments (E. S. R., 

 20. p. 1166) are reported in which a nitrogen balance was maintained, or nitrogen 

 gains made, on a ration of both meat and casein cleavage products, fed with 

 considerable amounts of carbohydrates and fat. 



Discussion upon the physiology of purin metabolism, J. B. Leathes et al. 

 (Brit. Med. Jour., 190S. No. 2-'iS6, pp. .',95--'i99). — At the meeting of the British 

 Medical Association at Sheffield, July, 1908, the question of purin metabolism was 

 presented for discussion by J. B. Leathes, who summarized the results of his 

 exjierimental work on this subject. The question was also considered by C. 

 Watson, E. I. Spriggs, Sir Lauder Brinton, T. H. Milroy, and I. W. Hall. 



In summing up the matter it was pointed out by Leathes that for persons in 

 health very considerable physiological variations were to be noticed in the purin 

 metabolism and that these did not depend on imperfect or delayed excretion, but 

 that, generally speaking, the largest amount of uric acid was excreted when the 

 standard of health and activity was highest. 



The uric acid excretion of normal men, P. J. Hanzlik and P. B. Hawk 

 (Proc. Soc. E.Tpt. Biol, and Med., 6 (I90S). No. 1, pp. 18, i9).— The conclusions 

 reached in this investigation follow : 



" The average daily excretion of uric acid for 10 men ranging in age from 19 

 to 29 years, and fed a normal mixed diet, was 0.597 gm., a value somewhat lower 

 than the generally accepted average of 0.7 gm. for such a peri(xl. 



'■ The average daily protein ingestion for these same subjects, when permitted 

 to select their diet, was 91.2 gm. or l.;j.S gm. per kilogram of body weight." 



The relation between the hourly excretion of nitrogen and its absorption 

 in the intestine with reference to rest, work, and diuresis, E. Haas (Biochcni. 

 Ztsclir., 12 (1908), No. 3-.'i, pp. 203-2'i1, dgins. 26). — Among the conclusions 

 drawn from the investigations reported were the following: A curve represent- 

 ing the renal excretion of nitrogen for the first 8 hours after taking food shows 

 2 and sometimes 3 maxima. The first of these is chiefly due to flushing out 

 nitrogenous cleavage products. Neither severe work nor absolute rest during 

 the first 8 hours after taking protein had appreciable effect on the amount of 

 nitrogen excreted during this period. The increased excretion of nitrogen with 

 a larger volume of urine is also attributable to the flushing out of the system. 

 Fat cleavage with pancreas, E. Bauer (Ztsclir. Angcw. Chcm., 22 (1909), 

 No. J, pp. 97-100). — On the basis of experimental data the author recommends 



