258 EXPEKIMENT STATION RECORD. 



" Considering all of its uses, corn is one of tlie most important cereal foods 

 from the standpoint of palatability, nutritive value, and digestibility. It may 

 be prepared for the table in a great variety of ways, and in some form or other 

 is deservedly used in the majority of American homes." 



Nuts and their uses as food, M. E. Jaffa (U. S. Dept. Agr. Yearbook 1906, 

 pp. 295-312, pi. 1, fig. 1). — The flavor, composition, and digestibility of nuts 

 and their place in the diet are considered, the preparation and characteristics 

 of nut butter, nut paste and preserves, nut flours, and other nut products are 

 described, and data on the general subject of nuts and their uses as food are 

 summarized. 



In general, according to the author, " it may be said that nuts are a very con- 

 centrated food, even more so than cheese, but when rationally used they are 

 well assimilated and may form a part of a well-balanced diet. Nuts are a very 

 valuable source of protein and fat, these two nutrients being the characteristic 

 constituents of the more common nuts, of which the walnut and cocoanut may 

 be taken as types. In nuts like the chestnut, carbohydrates are a characteristic 

 constituent. For most families it is undoubtedly wiser to use nuts as part of 

 the regular diet than as a condiment or supplement to an otherwise hearty meal. 



" Vegetarians and others who use nuts in place of meat should not depend 

 upon them as the main food supply, but should supplement them with more 

 bulky foods with a low content of protein and fat. As a whole, nuts may be 

 classed among the staple foods, and not simply as food accessories. At usual 

 prices, nuts are reasonable sources of protein and energy. . . . 



" Though less subject to contamination than many other foods, nuts should be 

 handled and stored under good conditions, and especially should be protected 

 from dampness and insect enemies." 



Infant feeding and infant mortality among the Chinese, Wiens {Arch. 

 Rasseii ii. Gcscll. Biol., .'/ {l!)(n). No. 2, pp. 22'i-221). — On the basis of personal 

 observation and other ^ivailable data the author discusses infant feeding in 

 northern China. 



In general, the children are bi'east fed for 18 months and sometimes for 3 

 or 4 years. Cow's milk is not used by the Chinese, and when the children ai"e 

 weaned they are given porridge made from wheat flour or from millet meal 

 with millet bread and similar f()ods, and later eggs and a little meat, that is, 

 they gradually become accustomed to the mixed diet used by adults. In well-to- 

 do families a special sort of rice is used, as well as lotus roots, cakes from bean 

 flour, variovis dishes made from wheat flour, and fruit. When it was necessary 

 to wean very young children on the cereal products mentioned, fatal results 

 were almost always noted. 



A plea for the use of oatmeal in the dietary of children, C. Watson {Brit. 

 Med .Jour., I'JOl, A'o. 2//i7, pp. 9So, 9S(), fig-s. 2). — In the author's opinion, oat- 

 meal porridge is a very satisfactory food for children from the third year 

 onward. " Breakfast is the meal into which oatmeal should most largely 

 enter, the best form of administration being porridge and milk", which should 

 be followed by a glass of milk and some bread and butter." The author 

 believes that it is better to omit meat from the meal. His high opinion of 

 oatmeal is in part based upon the fact that in experiments with yoiuig rats the 

 thyroid gland was much more highly developed on oatmeal than on a diet of 

 l)read and milk. 



Buttermilk feeding, II. C. Carpenter {.Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc, J/S {1907), 

 No. 19, pp. 1576-1580, dgms. 12). — A discussion of the uses of buttermilk in 

 infant feeding, with reports of a number of cases. On the basis of experience, 

 the author considers fresh buttermilk most excellent temporary food " for infants 

 suffering from intestinal indigestion, enteritis, and marasmus." No unpleasant 



