766 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Retail prices of food, 1890 to 1906 (Bur. of Labor [U. /S.] BuL 71, pp. 115- 

 328). — Statistical data of the retail prices of 30 staple foods secured in the 

 principal industrial centers of the United States in 1906 are reported, discussed, 

 and compared with similar data for preceding years. For the United States as 

 a whole the retail prices of food during 1906 were 2.9 per cent higher than in 

 1905, and the average cost of food per family in 1906, as determined frcuu 

 2,567 families in different jiarts of the country, was .$359.53 as compared with 

 $349.27 in 1905. 



Food consumption and expenditures for food in Paris, K. A. Wietii-Knud- 

 SEN (Rev. Kcon. Intermit., S {WOl), .Yo. .?, pp. .510-588).— K statistical investi- 

 gation on the amount and character of expenditures for food in Paris. The 

 results are compared with those obtained by earlier investigators. 



According to data summarized, food cost 34.8 cts. in 1906-7 as compared with 

 24.5 cts. per head per day in 1S71-1S73. The total expenditure for food in 

 1906-7 was $145.35 per person per year, a value which shows a decided increase 

 over the results of previous investigators. 



Restrictions of artificial color in the preparation of food products with 

 specific recommendations, J. Hortvet {Amer. Food Jour., 2 {11)01), \o. 8, pp. 

 JfO, Jfl, fig. 1). — The recommendatioTis which are made ai'e in general that the 

 use of coloring matters should not l)e permitted in the manufacture of foods 

 which have a distinctive color, but the author believes that harmless colors 

 should ))e jierujitted in articles which have no distinctive color. 



The effect of coloring' matters on some of the digestive enzyms, H. W. 

 Houghton {Jmir. Anirr. Chcin. Soc, 29 (1901), Ao. 9, pp. 1351-]Sol). — Accord- 

 ing to the author, aiuiatto when used in the proportions of 1 : 100 to 1: 1600 is- 

 without effect on the peptic digestion of fibrin while it diminishes the «>n/,ymic 

 activity on egg albumen and casein. 



" Saffron diminishes the enzymic activity on fibrin, casein, and egg all)umen 

 when used in ])roiiortions varying fi'om 3 : 100 to 1 : 400, while smaller rpiantities 

 have no effect. 



" Turmeric has no effect on the enzymic activity on fibrin when used in pro- 

 portions of 1 : 800 or smaller, while with casein and egg albumen it diminishes 

 the enzymic activity in each case. 



" Cochineal and Bismark brown diminish the enzymic activity on fibrin and 

 casein when used in proportions varying from 1 : 100 to 1 : 400, while with egg 

 albumen the enzymic activity is diminished throughout. 



" Croceine scarlet 1-B ju-events entirely the enzymic activity on fibrin, while 

 with casein and egg albumen the enzymic activity is i)revented when jiroixir- 

 tions of 1 : 100 to 1 : 2(M;) are used. Smaller quantities of the same dye diminish 

 the enzymic activity on casein and egg albumen." 



As regards the effect of annatto and oil yellow on the hydrolysis of butter fat, 

 the data reported showed no retarding action. On the other hand, the action 

 of lipase seemed to be increased owing, in the author's opinion, to the presence 

 of some lipolytically active substance in the coloring matters tested. 



The physiological action of some coloring matters and their excretion in 

 the urine, J. Gautrelet and H. Gravellat {Conipt. Rend. Acdd. Hvi. [Paris}, 

 I'l'i (1901), Ao. 25, pp. l-'i61, l.'f 68). —Brief notes on the behavior of a number 

 of anilin dyes. The colors considered active were methylene blue, methyl violet, 

 eosin, and neutral red. The inactive colors were marine blue and malachite 

 green. The vegetable dyes indigo, carmine, madder, and hematoxylin were also 

 considered inactive. 



The effect of meat extract and yeast extracts on the qualitative and quan- 

 titative composition of gastric juice, W. Hoffmann and M. Wintgen (Arch. 



